


The Music Box

by Saiyan_Lion



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Ballet Dancer Katsuki Yuuri, Cat/Human Hybrids, Dancer Katsuki Yuuri, Dancing, Doll!Yuuri, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, I don't know, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Titles, Inspired by Music, Inspired by Yuri!!! on Ice, Inspired by the Nutcracker, M/M, Music, Nutcracker AU, Smitten Victor Nikiforov, Tags Contain Spoilers, Talking Animals, Toys, Wingman Phichit Chulanont, are these enough tags?, everyone is turned into a toy or an animal, inspired by a lot of childhood movies/shows/stories, loose adaptation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2018-11-02 03:52:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 45,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10936431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saiyan_Lion/pseuds/Saiyan_Lion
Summary: All Viktor Nikiforov wanted was to surprise everyone. Now, however, he longs for an adventure that can surprise him.His answer comes from a small little music box from a strange little antique store.





	1. It All Began with A Music Box

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my second fanfic that I've been wanting to publish, and since it's a little bit more whimsical than my other one, I'd like to post this so that I can have something to alternate with to keep up with the emotions of the other. Please enjoy the Nutcracker AU that maybe no one wanted!
> 
> Now, without further ado... Please read *bows awkwardly out*

Some time ago, Viktor moved to St. Petersburg, happily living in his apartment with his overgrown poodle Makkachin and ice skating with his teammates at the rink for his coach Yakov Feltsman, aiming to win his fifth GPF gold medal. 

Which would come too easily for him, if he were honest. 

Viktor had felt that there was something _missing_ in his life. Some sort of adventure, perhaps. Something that would stir him and give him excitement. Something to inspire him, and give him life. 

Sadly, no ideas have exactly been popping up lately. 

Viktor walked down the street, wrapped up in his thoughts, watching his breath fog up in the cold air. When would his inspiration strike? Would he ever have a true adventure of his own? He was 27, after all. Perhaps he was getting too old for those kind of dreams? 

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he almost missed the presence of a new store that hadn’t been there before when he walked by earlier that morning. He stopped, glancing up in surprise and curiosity of the new shop that he hadn’t noticed before. A toy shop? When did this toy store get here? Surely Viktor wasn’t so unobservant that he’d miss such a store on his twice daily commute to and from the rink?

Viktor entered the shop, curiosity eating away at his brain. His eyes widened slightly in surprise as he looked around. It seemed more like an antique toy shop than a modern day one. His eyes gazed all around the shop, taking in the unusual yet nostalgic objects around him.

Proud hobby horses were set up neatly in a row in various colors. Tin soldiers were lined up along a shelf, stately nutcrackers gracing the shelves beside them. China dolls and jointed dolls were sitting opposite the soldiers. Countless and countless other antiquated playthings were displayed around the store, looking as shiny and new as the day they were made. What a pleasant surprise. 

Viktor walked around, marveling at the toys. He some of them he remembered from his own childhood. A feeling of warm nostalgia flooded over his memories, making him smile. What a pleasant store. 

“Welcome, good sir!” a cheerful aged voice called, walking into the main floor of the building carrying a plain wooden music box. Viktor looked up to the shopkeeper, startled out of the charm that was the store. He was a plump, elderly little man of what looked like Japanese descent. His voice had a slight accent when he spoke Russian. 

Viktor watched as he carefully set the music box he held down onto a bare space on a low shelf near the register. The kind looking old man turned to him and smiled. 

“Can I help you find anything?” he asked, clapping his hands together. 

Viktor blinked, then shook his head, his eyes devouring the sights around him again. “Ah, no. Just browsing, thanks.” he said slowly and clearly, not wanting to speak too fast. He felt a little bad for doing so, but he didn’t want to cause any miscommunication issues, either. 

“When did you open up? I don’t recall this store being here recently.” he added, eyes drifting back to the toys in the store. He jumped when he found himself face to face with a rather fierce looking golden cat toy snarling at him at eye level, green eyes piercing him straight through his core. He looked away quickly to avoid the intense glare.

The Japanese man chuckled, turning back to straighten out the music box. “Oh, we’ve not been open for too long.” he said kindly once he was satisfied with the look of the music box. “I’ve just moved here with my son. He’s learning ballet here from a very famous ballet instructor, I’ve been told.” 

Viktor made a small sound of surprise, staring at him in disbelief. The only ballet instructor he could think of in this area was Lilia Baranovskaya, Yakov’s ex-wife. He couldn’t help but pity the poor boy under Lilia’s tutelage. “That must have been quite some trip. But to open a store here while he’s learning…?” 

The old man didn’t seem to be paying attention, now straightening up some jointed dolls that seated on a shelf a little taller than he was. He returned his attention back to Viktor with a kind smile.

“Can I interest you in anything?” the old man repeated, folding his hands behind his back, making a humming sound as he rocked back on his heels.

Viktor stared down at the strange little man, contemplating leaving this enchanting little store. It wasn’t like there was anything in here that would remotely interest him or be of use for him, nor did he know of any children that he would gift a toy to, for that matter. 

He felt his eyes draw to the music box that the old man had carried in. It was a simple little thing. A dull, reddish wood color, with barely any hint of adornment but for the silver hinges on the lid. Aside from that, there was nothing too special about it. It looked rather ordinary and boring. It was almost sad how dull it looked. 

So why was he so curious about it?

The Russian man pointed at it, his eyes not leaving the box. “What’s that?” he asked. “It’s rather plain looking for this kind of store, don’t you think?”

The old man smiled, then turned to the wood box. He gently lifted it into his hands, like it was the greatest treasure on earth. “This little thing is a very special music box. It’s a little plain and perhaps underwhelming on the outside. One might even choose to ignore it.” He smiled, placing a wrinkled hand on the lid. “But if one is kind enough to take a look inside...” he said, carefully lifting the lid, turning to show it to Viktor. Viktor’s eyes widened as he looked inside. 

The inside of the music box was anything short of extraordinary. The inner workings of the box was made with plush, blue velvet, a silver framed mirror inlaid with pearls hidden in the lid. In the center of the box was a tiny male dancer in a pose, a hand to his chest over his heart and the other outstretched, as if reaching out to someone, standing on a pedestal of shimmering crystal glass. 

Upon closer inspection, Victor could see the smartly dressed figure, sporting a deep purple blazer with a beautiful design of shimmering green and magenta on the back, black hair slicked back from a pale face. Viktor could just make out a pair of soft brown eyes on the tiny face of the dancer. If this were a real person, he’d be the envy of many a figure skater or dancer with the sheer elegance of his pose alone.

He wasn’t even aware of the owner twisted the knob to play the music until the figurine started twirling slowly, as if he was dancing in mid-air, or perhaps on ice. His still form was so perfect and graceful, Viktor almost forgot that this was a toy, and not a human being. He felt his heart grow at the sight. The music, while holding the tinny sound common for music boxes, was a beautiful melody, as if telling the story of this beautiful man in the center, twirling in position with such grace and beauty which would make any danseur mad with jealousy. What a beautiful treasure indeed… 

He broke out of the spell when the shopkeeper gently closed the lid. Viktor stared at the old man, blinking out of the spell, while he smiled up at Viktor. “This one is very special and dear. It would have to go to someone who would take care of it.” the Japanese man said, placing the box back onto the shelf gently. “I would hate for it to go, but I know that it would just positively shine with whoever it’s with.” 

Viktor wasn’t sure what this man meant, but he could kind of feel the same. It would be a shame if no one could appreciate the rare beauty that it was. It’s design was rather ingenious, as if to dare those that are willing to take that extra step to look inside, to see it’s true worth. 

Viktor looked up at the old man, a fierce determination in his eyes. “How much is it?” he asked suddenly. “I would like to bring it home with me.” 

The old man smiled, then gingerly lifted the box in his hands towards Viktor. He smiled up at him. “Would you like it wrapped, or as is?” 

❉ ❉ ❉

Viktor didn’t know what he was thinking when he bought it. Sure, he was entranced by it, but did he really need something like this? No. He didn’t. But why did he have to go ahead and buy it?

The figure skater sighed, staring down at the unassuming box on his coffee table, feeling at a loss. He’s done impulse purchases before, sure, but this one felt like it came with an unexpected weight, one that he wasn’t sure why he felt. Something he can’t quite fathom yet. 

He sighed, pushing his hair back from his eyes. He looked up at the clock, noting the late hour, and yawned widely. He got to his feet, looking down at the music box, as if it were another person. “Well, I’ll figure out what I’ll do with you tomorrow.” he said cheerfully, putting a hand to his hip. “Maybe you might make a good present for someone. Who knows?” he said, laughing, his mouth becoming heart shaped. 

He patted his thigh to call his dog’s attention. “Come, Makkachin. Let’s go to bed.” he said cheerfully. The brown poodle boofed softly, padding towards the bedroom.

He turned, leaving the music box in the living room, opting to go to his room and cuddle with his beloved Makkachin. He curled up under the covers, sighing in contentment at the warmth he was sharing with his poodle, forgetting instantly about the music box in the other room. 

Hours pass as Viktor falls deeper in slumber, lights out, shadows creeping in. In the living room, the music box sat, moonlight pouring over it. Suddenly, softly, the same song that it had played earlier played into the room, wafting slowly through the air, to Viktor’s room. Viktor stirred as the tune reached his ears, only turning over to his side and falling deeper into sleep. The thing was probably broken.

What would happen next, however, would grant Viktor’s wish for adventure.


	2. Not In Russia Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor goes to bed, only to wake up to find himself in... Well, Yutopia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait to post the next chapter. I'm halfway through with edits on my other work, but darn it, I was too excited to get this next chapter in! 
> 
> Also, this seems to be quite a bit more like a loose adaptation, really. But it's been fun to write, nonetheless! Please enjoy this next chapter!

Viktor awoke to sunlight in his face, the scent of grass and frost in the air. Viktor wrinkled his nose, turning to his side. He had expected to feel the warm, soft curls of his beloved poodle under his fingertips, sprawled all over his bed. Instead, he felt the sharp feel of grass under his fingers, crisp from winter weather. The Russian blinked as he stared at the blades under his fingertips. He blinked blearily, trying to remember when he had fallen asleep outside. 

Until he remembered: he hadn’t fallen asleep outside. He had went to bed, in his home. In his warm bed. 

He sat up quickly, looking around in shock. He wasn’t in his bedroom anymore. Heck, he wasn’t sure if he was even in Russia anymore. This place looked like it came out of some weird fairytale book.

He was resting under an unusual looking tree, covered with dark pink, nearly red, leaves and a silvery trunk. The grass was covered with frost, giving it a strangely minty look. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but deep pink leaves and frosty grass. Nothing looked a bit like home. Not even a stone.

A dream, perhaps? It made a lot more sense, seeing as this couldn’t be a real place. It could have been that chicken he had cooked for dinner. God knows he wasn’t the best cook. He must have cooked it wrong, and now he’s in this bad chicken induced nightmare.

The Russian quickly rose to his feet, running his hands through his silvery hair as he tried to convince himself this. “Okay, this is a dream. Yes, a dream. From bad chicken. Should have ordered take out” he said, reassuring himself as he thought that through. “There’s no way that this could be real, right?” 

“Hey, you there!!” an angry voice shouted. His shoulders slumped.

“Ah, hell.” 

Viktor turned to the sound of the voice, startled to see that what had greeted him was a nutcracker. The creature had a spear pointed at him, flanked by two other similar wooden creatures. 

The wooden creature snarled angrily. Viktor could see blunt, wooden teeth clacking together. “You’re coming with us, stranger!” it barked harshly. “In the name of the king!” 

Viktor held his hands up in alarm, eyes half trained on the weapon in it’s hands. “I’m sorry, but why am I going with you?” he asked. 

“You look like one of those outlaws!” the nutcracker to the left of the leader quipped, shoving its own spear towards his belly. Viktor unconsciously sucked his gut in, not caring to be stabbed. 

“Oh, well, I’m but a visitor! So don’t worry about me!” he tried to assure the wooden man, putting on his best smile. 

The wooden creature on the middle one’s right side stared him down intently. “Hey… Doesn’t this bozo seem kinda familiar to you?” it asked slowly, it’s voice gravely in comparison to the other two. Viktor stared at the wooden person in confusion while the other two also took to really looking at him. He leaned back as they tried to examine them. Ever heard about personal space? 

The lead nutcracker nodded slowly in agreement, shoving it’s spear closer to him. “Yeah, you’re right. Hey, pretty boy, who are-” 

A voice suddenly rang out, as clear as a bell. “NOW!!” 

Viktor jumped as suddenly, from above the tree that he had been resting under, a small figure landed right in front of him. He stared at what looked like a teenage boy with blonde hair and… Were those cat ears? And a tail?

The boy launched himself at the nutcrackers, hissing as he smacked the spears with a short sword. He twirled around the group, forcing them to face themselves back to back. 

In that same moment, another boy jumped in, this one older and with darker skin and black hair, carrying a rope. He quickly wrapped the rope around the trio, entangling the soldiers enough to drop their guard and weapons. Their teeth clacked menacingly as they tried to wriggle free. 

He quickly looked up in the trees to some unseen partner above. “Yuuri! Catch!” He threw the rope up into the trees to the unknown friend, and Viktor quickly watched as the wooden men were pulled up into the air, feet dangling while their weapons clattered together on the ground. The amount of snarling and growling was intense, until heads knocked into the solid branch above them. 

After a moment’s breath, a young man with fluffy black hair and blue framed glasses came sliding down from the remainder of the rope, landing to the ground on two feet before tying the rope deftly around the slim trunk. 

Viktor watched as the young man dusted himself, straightening out his glasses that were perched rather precariously on his nose. He was dressed in baby blue coveralls and a faded white button up with pushed up sleeves. One latch was undone on his coveralls, the other strap hanging precariously over his shoulder. Large worn patches covered the knees of his coveralls, while the blue material puffed out over the top of worn brown boots.

The young man turned to the other two, smiling. “Great job, you two! That’s three less of that dreaded king’s guard we have to deal with!” he exclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands together in joy. 

The darker skinned boy smiled, dressed in a light brown button up with darker brown pants and brilliant red suspenders, crossing his arms proudly. “Who would have thought that this stranger here would be the perfect bait!” he said with a click of his boots clicking together. 

“Hey, asshole!” The blonde boy was speaking now, spitting in disgust. He was wearing tan breeches and black boots, a half undone white button up with a black undershirt, sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He was tapping his foot, cat ears flat to his skull and tail fluffing, glaring at the darker skinned boy. “You almost got me tied up with those idiots!” 

“Almost!” the dark skinned boy said proudly, giggling. The blonde growled furiously, tail swishing. 

Viktor stared at the odd trio, dumbstruck. “Um… Who are you three?” he asked. “And where am I?” 

The trio turned, staring at him. Viktor found himself stared down by sets of green, dark gray, and chocolate brown eyes. He audibly gulped, feeling exposed and uncomfortable. He looked around, then pointed up at the wriggling wooden creatures clacking above them. “And also, what are those?” 

The young man in the blue coveralls frowned in worry, the light reflecting off of his glasses. “You’re in Yutopia. Or what used to be it.” he explained, rubbing the back of his head. “As for the introductions, let’s wait until we get you somewhere safe. These woods are constantly controlled but the king’s guards, and we don’t need another confrontation with them.” 

The boy in blue strode purposefully by Viktor, causing the man to audibly gasp. Where smooth skin should have been, Viktor found himself staring at what looked like the joints of a ball-jointed doll. Two circles of pink were on his cheeks, as if painted there, and his brown eyes looked like the finest set of eyes ever placed on a china doll. 

This young man wasn’t human. 

He flushed as the boy looked back at him, then looked down at his hands. He gave him an embarrassed smile before he turned back around to leading the way. The Russian man felt stupid and horrible for making him look that way about himself… He shouldn’t have to be embarrassed… 

Viktor took some gentle encouragement and convincing from the second oldest young man in the group to follow the blue boy as he strode through the woods, finding himself entranced by the scenery and his new companions. 

The blonde cat boy slinked up to the blue boy, hunching his shoulders distrustfully at Viktor. Viktor tried to ignore that icy green glare cutting through him. Yikes. “I don’t like the looks of him, Yuuri.” he said, just barely soft enough for Viktor to hear. “This could be a trap.” 

“Yura, I’m sure that this isn’t a trap. When was the last time you saw someone that looked remotely human here?” he asked, shaking his head. 

The Russian man stiffened in shock, but continued to walk. Wait, human? As in, there weren’t any humans here anymore? Or there used to be? 

Viktor could hear the blonde click his tongue in annoyance, tail swishing. “That’s why I think this is a trap! Because there’s no way in hell that someone could be human in Yutopia after all the curses from that bastard king! No way!” 

“We’ll just have to see where this takes us.” the young man said seriously after a moment’s pause. “For now, he’s coming with us.” 

The darker skinned boy leaped up, hugging the doll boy from behind playfully. Viktor noticed with a jolt that this boy had a golden key firmly attached to his back, just like a wind up toy. “Yuuuuri~! My springs are getting stiff!” 

The boy in blue turned to his friend, eyes shining in concern. “Phichit! We can’t have your body freeze up on us now! Why didn’t you say something sooner?!” he demanded as the boy called Phichit turned his back to him. 

Phichit smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “I can’t help it that I need to have my key turned three times a day!” he said, laughing while the other man turned the golden key rhythmically in five turns. Phichit groaned, stretching his arms. “That hit the spot!” 

Viktor couldn’t help but blurt out, “What are you guys exactly?” 

He turned red as the three of them stared at him, understandably shocked by his tasteless question. He wanted to backtrack so hard before the young man in blue chuckled. 

“Oh. Well, I’m a doll, and Phichit here is a wind-up toy. Yuri - we call him Yura or Yurio- is an animal hybrid, between a human and a cat.” he explained softly. “I’m also Yuuri, which is why Yura has nicknames… I’m sorry. Do we scare you?” 

Viktor shook his head vigorously, trying to backtrack once more. “No, no, of course not! I’m so sorry for my rude question. It’s just… I have to admit, I don’t see talking toys or animal boys that often… Back home, I mean.” 

Yuuri chuckled, smiling. “I suppose that would make sense, if you’re truly a traveller passing through, as you had told the king’s guards. We weren’t always like this, though.” he lamented, sighing as he looked down at his hand.

Viktor blinked in surprise. Yuri kicked at a stone with his boot. “We were human, too.” the teenager spat, ears flattening in annoyance. 

“But the dreaded king showed up one day and cursed everyone in Yutopia, turning us all either into animal or animal hybrids, or toys.” Phichit finished, his shining face becoming grave. 

Viktor stared in disbelief. “How horrible! What did you do to deserve that?!” 

Yuuri smiled sadly. “We were there, and refused to view him as our king. That’s why.” he said sadly. “Of course, it didn’t help that on that same day, our prince disappeared.” 

The Russian lifted an eyebrow. “Prince?” 

“The heir to Yutopia. He was going to rule before the king suddenly appeared. He was promptly banished before the king cast his curses on us.” Yuuri sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Some of us got it worse than others; some of us got lucky. But the dreaded king has been slowly poisoning our world, covering it with frost…” 

Yuri grunted, the cat boy crossing his arms. “Well, I say good riddance to the prince!” he announced. “The king be damned, but our prince was hella flighty and had no regard for danger. He spent far too much time dreaming and playing around than working on his lessons on how to be king.” 

“Yura!” Yuuri snapped, frowning. 

“Oh, come off it, piggy, you know it’s true! You know that better than anyone!” Yuri snapped. 

Yuuri frowned, crossing his arms now. Viktor had to ignore the ball joints on the doll’s fingers, which eerily reminded of a skeleton hand. “But the prince is our only hope! He’s the only chance we have to restore the peace in Yutopia!” 

“Please, piggy, you’re just as delusional as the prince if you think that’s gonna happen! I thought you were smarter than that!” Yuri snapped, getting in the doll’s face. 

Phichit placed himself firmly between the two, an uncharacteristic frown on his face. “Yurio, that’s enough!” the tin toy said firmly, his lips in a straight line. He turned between the two of them. “Despite the fact that we have no idea as of the status of the prince, we still have that king to deal with! Speaking of, we should skedaddle before any more of his guards show up! I hate nutcrackers!” 

The doll sighed, nodding in agreement. He turned his eyes on the cat boy. “We'll discuss this _later_.” he told him firmly, going back to leading the way.

By the way that the teen huffed but continued to follow, Viktor could only assume that the doll must be something of a leader here.

He continued to follow after the toys, his eyes darting around him. This place was beautiful, but if this was what killing their home looked like, it must be absolutely stunning when it was healthy.

The tin boy turned his attention to Viktor. “You haven't told us your name yet, stranger!” he said cheerfully, beaming from ear to ear.

Viktor smiled back at him. “My apologies. I'm Viktor.”

Phichit beamed happily. “Nice to meet you, Viktor! Sorry that we used you as bait. We've been trying to clear the forest for weeks.”

“Why?”

“Our base is near here.” Yuuri replied, looking back. “We don't want to be found, obviously.”

“Obviously.” Viktor repeated uncertainly. “Does that make you rebels, then?”

Phichit pouted. “Not if we're trying to protect _our_ home! The king is the intruder!” he argued, crossing his arms. 

Viktor stared. “...But you’re rebelling.”

“Your point?” the tin boy asked.

“So you’re rebels?” the Russian reasoned.

Phichit frowned, pouting increased three fold. “Well, we have a right to! Our home is being destroyed, and ruled by a selfish king who wants all of us under his command!” Viktor decided to drop it after that. It made sense, after all. He wouldn't like that, either. 

“That’s enough for now, everyone.” Yuuri said calmly, turning to the group. "We're here." Viktor and Phichit stopped their discussion, drawing their attention to Yuuri.

The Russian noticed that they were in a small cave, wet and damp from a waterfall that roared nearby. How he had managed to miss all of this was a great question, as well as wonder as to if he just skipped steps like these in his dreams due to laziness.

They stood before an entrance covered with moss and hanging plants, masking said entrance from view. Yuuri entered first, followed immediately by Yurio. Viktor was urged to follow after the cat boy, Phichit taking the rear. 

Viktor’s eyes adjusted slowly to the sudden darkness, but only just enough until they burst into a clearing full of light and sound. His eyes narrowed, then grew wide as he saw a multitude of the citizens, toys and animals alike, cheering as they greeted the returning travelers. 

Just what kind of fantasy land did he dream up this time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I feel it helps a little to get a feel of where the story will go (obviously), as I felt that my first chapter didn't quite... maybe allude fully to what would happen? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Like I said, I couldn't wait to post the next chapter, so I went ahead and did it. Thanks for reading! I like comments! (It encourages me >_> <_< )


	3. Dinner and a Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor meets the denizens of Yutopia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having so much fun writing this, y'all. I hope you're enjoying reading it!

Viktor couldn't keep his mouth shut as he looked around the clearing, his face shining in awe. Toys and animals bustled throughout the clearing, jovially working together. He could hear some of the denizens singing, cheerful songs that he didn't know the words to, yet yearned to learn. Children played games together, shrieking in joy as one of the children - a puppy boy - ran after a stick, playing an intense game of fetch with two doll girls. A lion hybrid was dozing beside a sweet looking lamb, arms wrapped protectively around him. 

Yuuri had wandered a couple steps away from his companions, addressing another tin toy. He paid little attention as Yurio slunk away from their group, disappearing into the crowd. "...The king's nutcrackers have already gone past the river," Yuuri said worriedly, his brow furrowing. "We got lucky that we found them before they could find the Sanctuary. How fair the meadows?" 

"Overrun with them. Crawling, even." the tin toy sighed, shaking his head. "I'm afraid we won't be able to do any more missions over there, sir." 

"Damn." The doll put a hand to his mouth, frowning in worry. "But then that leaves what's left of the forest and the mountains. The frost has already started spreading in the forest, and -" 

“ _Danseur_ Katsuki, _Danseur_ Katsuki!” Three little teddy bears came bounding over to Yuuri, interrupting his meeting. He smiled, crouching down to their level. Viktor could see the patience that reflected in his eyes as he listened to the bears. 

“Did you beat up any nutcrackers today?!” 

"Did you bring any presents?!" 

"Where'd you find the weird guy?!" 

Yuuri smiled, laughing at them playfully. “I ran into a few nutcrackers today. They won’t be marching in the woods anytime soon.” he promised. He gave the little toys a playful wink. "Now head on back to your parents. You shouldn't run off on them like that." he scolded gently. 

As he mentioned them, a pretty rag doll arrived, accompanied by a _much_ larger teddy bear. The two of them smiled at the scene before them. "Axel, Lutz, Loop! Let _Danseur_ Katsuki relax! I'm sorry, Yuuri, the girls are such big groupies of yours!" the rag doll said, waving her hands apologetically. 

The ball-jointed doll laughed, picking up the teddy bears and hoisting them up into his arms, carrying them up with him as he stood. "It's alright, Yuuko-chan. I don't mind." he said. He smiled at the teddy bear. "Things were well in camp, Takeshi?" 

The teddy bear nodded. "Other than the girls getting a little too close to the fire, everything's been fine here." he said, smiling as he took the teddy bears into his arms. 

Yuuri smiled. "Thank you. That's some good news, at least." The teddy bear smiled while the rag doll ruffled Yuuri's hair. 

"The Nishigori family's always got your back, _Danseur_ Katsuki!" Yuuko said cheerfully with a playful jab at Yuuri's ribs - or where they would be, if he had ribs. 

Yuuri blushed. "You don't have to call me that, Yuuko-chan! I'm just Yuuri!" 

She laughed. "Oh, I know. You're still my friend, after all. I just want to make sure the girls use your proper title!" She took Takeshi's arm and smiled. "We'll leave you to the new guest then!" she said cheerfully, waving him off. The other doll sighed, shaking his head in amusement as the little family went away. 

Viktor watched as the bizarre family left, then turned his attention to Yuuri. “‘ _Danseur_ Katsuki’?” he echoed, staring at Yuuri quizzically. 

Yuuri’s eyes widened in embarrassment and he fidgeted, looking awkward. “I-I, d-don’t worry about that…” he said awkwardly. “It’s not important…” 

“Not important? Not important?!” Phichit wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s shoulders, causing the other toy to squeak in surprise. “He’s being far too modest. He’s _Danseur_ Katsuki Yuuri, the greatest dancer in all of Yutopia, and the Prince of Yutopia’s fiancé!” he announced with a flourish of his hands towards the plain jane loking doll in baggy baby blue coveralls.

Viktor stared in surprise. “Fiancé?” he echoed again, continuing his stared. The doll squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

The dark skinned boy nodded, hugging Yuuri’s neck. “ _Danseurs_ in the past often become engaged to the royalty here, and _Danseur_ Katsuki -that’s his official title, by the way - is no exception! ...Well, aside from the fact that he and the prince were already madly in love before they realized they were engaged~.” He sighed wistfully. "I still remember the engagement party. It was beautiful, and they looked so perfect together. OTP, for sure."

Yuuri pushed Phichit away, shaking his head and hands frantically. “I-it didn’t have to be me! I-I mean, I was just the royal magician’s son who just happened to like dancing! A-anyone could have gotten betrothed to the prince!” 

“And yet, it’s you!” the tin toy said giddily, clapping his hands together. “You barely even began your dance training and you already had the prince in the palm of your hand!” Phichit turned to Viktor excitedly. “One time, this guy was apparently not even seven yet, and somehow the prince was on his knees, proclaiming his love to a _six year old_. All Yuuri had done was a pirouette and a small bow!” 

“Please stop!” the doll begged, trying desperately to cover the other toy’s mouth to shut him up. Viktor watched the spectacle in amusement as the doll, a supposed _danseur_ , fell flat on his face with not even a hint of grace. Yuuri grumbled, getting up to his knees as he glowered up at his friend. 

“I’m hardly a _danseur_ anymore with this body, anyway. I can barely walk in a straight line without falling flat on my face.” the doll argued as he straightened out his glasses. "Just a dime-a-dozen." 

His friend chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, Yuuri, Yuuri. You say that, yet you still dance for the people when they request for you to dance, though! That shows your commitment to your true passion!” Phichit said, beaming. “And the main source of your magic!” 

“Wait, he has magic, too?” Viktor asked, wondering what he ate that gave him such a strange dream. Oh, yeah. That chicken. 

Yuuri sighed, exasperated. “The _only_ magic I have is that I can make music...when I dance, that is.” he admitted awkwardly. “I’m a magician’s son; I should have a little bit of magic born into me, after all.” He shrugged nonchalantly, that one working strap on his coveralls sliding further down his shoulder.

“And it’s so pretty! Yuuri, you must dance tonight!! We've got to celebrate the arrival of our new friend!” the dark skinned boy exclaimed, clutching the doll’s hands in his. “Please, please, please! It’ll make the people happy, and _Danseurs_ Baranovskaya and Okukawa don’t have working joints, unlike you.”

Yuuri looked away, crestfallen. Viktor noticed he was trying to look anywhere but at his own body. “At least they still look graceful and beautiful. I look like an awkward duckling. Well, more so than usual.” 

Phichit poked his lower lip out. “You do not look like an awkward duckling! Stop that, or I’ll turn the people on you to make you dance! You know I will, Katsuki Yuuri!!” 

The doll sputtered, flabbergasted. “What the- That’s cheating! You know that I can’t say no-!” 

“ _Exactly!_ Now come up with a dance for dinner tonight, and I won’t be making people beg you for a dance!” Phichit pushed the doll off towards the crowds, waving as the jointed doll grumbled and left. 

Viktor turned to Phichit curiously. “...Is he really that good of a dancer?” he asked, watching the boy in blue disappear into the crowd. 

The tin boy smirked, looking up at Viktor. “You’ll just have to stick around and find out, won’t you, handsome?” 

❉ ❉ ❉

Viktor couldn't believe that this world could get any more bizarre than it was now. 

Everyone, every toy, every animal, was seating in large groups on the grass, joyfully eating and partaking in the feast. Well, not _everyone_. Apparently, since the toys couldn't eat, only the animals could. Which seemed kind of a bummer if you asked him, but Viktor noticed that everyone was still having a good time, which was good. 

He was seated with Yuuri, Yurio, and Phichit, staring down at his bowl of food in interest. "What is this?" he asked, curious. 

Yuuri perked up, smiling. "That's called katsudon!" he said excitedly, his eyes shining. He seemed to practically drool as he stared at it. "It's the most heavenly, divine food in all the world..." 

"Not the mention the most fattening." Phichit added, prodding Yuuri in his rib cage. "Yuuri can't have it often because he used to gain weight easily. Of course now, there's no danger of that." 

The doll huffed, continuing to stare at the food. "When I become human, I'm going to eat five huge bowls of katsudon." he said decidedly. "I don't care if I gain twenty pounds afterwards. I'm gonna do it." 

The tin toy laughed in response to this declaration. "Oh, trust me, Yuuri. I don't think you're the only toy that's going to binge _big time_ on their favorite foods, yours truly included!" 

Viktor's eyes flickered to Yurio as he sighed, tail swishing. "Well, _I_ , for one, can't wait to stop coughing up hairballs. And chasing birds." the cat boy declared, taking a huge bite out of the katsudon. 

"Ah, I've been wondering this." Viktor said, looking between the toys and the cat boy. "What was your prince like?" 

The trio fell silent, then looked between each other. Phichit sighed. "That's another one of our problems. The king kind of wiped everyone's memories of the Prince." he said. 

The Russian skater blinked. "Really? Why?" 

"To make us more compliant, I guess." Yurio grumbled, shoving more food into his mouth. 

"We don't exactly know how, but we still remember bits and pieces of him." Yuuri added, leaning back on his hands. His eyes faded away into memory, lost in thought. "I remember big hands, and a wonderful laugh. I remember how he used to shower me with gifts, even before we got officially engaged." he said, smiling at the memory. "I can't really remember his face or his name, but I remember _him_. His presence." 

"It's the same for all of us." Phichit said. "We all remember but don't remember. But we can't really forget. Does that make sense?" The tin toy tilted his head at Viktor questioningly. 

Viktor frowned. "Not really, but I can kind of get it. But how was the king's spell on you all able to fail?" He hesitated before he continued. "After all, he _did_ turn you all into toys or animals." 

Yuuri shrugged helplessly in response. "Even we don't know." He rose to his feet, dusting the grass off of his coveralls. "I better get prepared. Enjoy your dinner." he said, bowing to the other three before straightening out. He stared at Viktor. "Viktor?" 

Viktor's heart leaped at the sound of Yuuri's voice. "Yes?" 

"...Don't let the katsudon get cold. That's practically a crime." He then turned and left, off to prepare for his dance. 

Viktor blinked, then blushed. "Oh. I see. Well, I better eat, then!" he said cheerfully, picking up some of the food with the chopsticks provided. He put the morsel into his mouth, and flavor exploded in his mouth. "Vkusno!!" he exclaimed, hastening his meal. "So delicious! It's the best thing in the universe! I can see why this would be Yuuri's favorite!" 

Phichit grinned. "Right? The guy is crazy over it! I wouldn't be surprised if he _could_ finish five bowls of it on his own!" 

Viktor continued to eat the delicious gift from above eagerly. "I might just join him in that conquest. This is divine!" 

❉ ❉ ❉

Viktor settled between Phichit and Yurio after everyone had finished dinner. Excitement buzzed in the air, and he could venture a guess as to why. He looked up to a grassy clearing in front of them, obviously the “stage” for the upcoming performance. Phichit squirmed excitedly, grinning broadly. Yurio sat beside him, a firm frown on his face, only a twitching tail the only thing betraying his interest.

A large, bear-like man (who contrasted greatly from the teddy bear from earlier) entered the knoll, crossing his arms. Viktor watched Yuri smirk, pleased. The bear man bowed.

“Due to popular demand, and to welcome our guest, _Danseur_ Katsuki will perform for us tonight.” He straightened back up. “Without further ado… _Danseur_ Katsuki Yuuri.”

“That's Otabek Altin.” Phichit whispered into Viktor's ear as the citizens clapped wildly. “He was one of the guards at the castle. He made all the announcements for the court.”

Viktor spared only half a glance at the tin boy, only for him to see the man - er, doll of the hour approach the stage.

Yuuri had modified his outfit slightly to help keep the loose clothing in check with a belt around his waist, pulling the fabric up. The straps of the coveralls were tied around his waist as well, leaving the white of his shirt. He looked very humble and plain like this, maybe even plainer than he had before.

The doll bowed to the denizens of the world. He set himself into an elegant pose, before slowly moving his feet.

Viktor watched, curious, as the boy moved, slowly, carefully. Not at all as clumsy as he was earlier. As soon as he realized this, that's when he heard it.

The music.

A piano. Then strings. Then a melody.

The boy was _creating music with his **body**._

Viktor was entranced, eyes glued to the doll as he moved, his arms and legs weaving through the air, the music picking up. He felt himself get swept up into the song, and it was only towards the middle of the song that he recognized where he heard it from.

It was the same song from his music box.

His imagination must be really vivid tonight if he was pulling this into a dream. That, or it was that chicken he ate earlier in the night. (It couldn't hold a candle to the katsudon, though.)

As he made this realization, the song drew to a close, and the boy took up his final pose, and Viktor was struck with the likeness this doll had to the smartly dressed, handsome dancer from his music box as he placed a hand over his heart and stretched his hand out, as if reaching out to someone.

Probably, if Viktor were to venture a guess, to his missing fiancé.

The crowd was silent, then burst into a roaring applause, stirring up quite a ruckus. Viktor smiled broadly, letting himself get swept up into it as well. It was a beautiful performance, after all.

The _danseur_ jumped, looking almost startled from the praise he was getting. He smiled bashfully, bowing to his audience. He waved at them, laughing softly as toys and animals came running up to hug him.

Viktor felt an elbow in his ribs. Phichit grinned up at him, winking. “What'd you think? Pretty amazing, huh?”

Viktor nodded immediately in agreement. “I can see why you made a big deal about it. It was amazing.” He put a finger to his chin in thought. “He literally created music with his body…”

“Yep! His magic!” Phichit looked back down to the stage, where Yuuri was surrounded still, now flanked by Yuri. “The king thinks that if he gets Yuuri to marry him, we'd listen. After all, with the prince gone, the _danseur_ is technically ruler by default, even if they aren't engaged. Yuuri, obviously, refused to marry that thug, so he was turned into a doll, to make him ‘easy to control,' I guess.”

Viktor frowned in confusion. “To control? But Yuuri seems to be in control. How-?”

Phichit put a finger to his lips, winking again. “Can't spoil everything yet, now can I? I've already done enough of that for one chapter.”

“I...what?” he asked, confused. He felt himself grow tired. Why was he feeling so tired all of a sudden?

Phichit laughed, beaming at Viktor kindly. “But that's enough for now. It's time to rest now, and for you to wake up.”

“Wake up? What do you-?”

A white light came as a loud ringing of an alarm clock assaulted his ears.

The dream vanished as Viktor opened his eyes. 

He was back in his room, in St. Petersburg. He was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dream has ended! ...For now. :3 I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please comment!! ^^


	4. Dream Hopper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's finding himself suddenly hopping between the real world and Yutopia. A real life scenario, or a case of bad chicken for dinner?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as I continue writing this, I am finding so many things that I have been drawing from my childhood somehow ending up in the story. So... If you're able to find any references or similarities to anything from childhood - movie, literature, even comics - congrats on finding them! They're all mashed in together everywhere from my dorky brain. (Had one from last chapter that I didn't even realize that I made until someone pointed it out. This has been fun!)

“ _Vitya!_ Pay attention! Stop your daydreaming this instant!” 

Viktor was jarred out of his reverie, looking to Yakov in surprise. “Oh, Yakov. Did you say something?” 

Yakov’s face turned a bright red. “Just run through your routine again! Your step sequences were sloppy!” 

The Russian gold medalist beamed. “Sure thing!” He received a firm frown in response as he skated off. The silver haired man’s mind, however, wandered back to the previous night’s events. Did that all really happen? Was that really a dream? It felt far too real to be a dream. 

When Viktor woke up that morning, he was sure that it wasn’t a dream. It couldn’t have been. And it wasn’t the chicken, either. 

He had flown out of his bed that morning and rushed into the living room, where the music box still rested on his coffee table. He sat down in front of the unassuming box, frowning at it. He picked it up, turned the dial that played the music, and opened it up. 

The same song played, the tinny sound eerily similar to the music that flowed through that strange doll’s body earlier that night as he danced with the grace of any _danseur_ in existence. Almost like… 

He frowned and stared at the tiny dancer in his music box, watching the figure carefully as it slowly spun, dancing upon the shimmering surface of crystal. He shook his head at the silly idea. This figure and the doll in his dream were far too different. The doll in his dream was far too shy, and seemed far too clumsy and plain despite his dancing. This dancer had the grace and beauty of a prince, a true dancer. 

He had sighed, running his fingers through his hair. What a bizarre dream it was.

Back to the present, Viktor still couldn’t shake his feelings of unease. How could he have dreamed up such a realistic dream? Did he desire adventure so much that he’d dream up an entire fantasy world made up of toys and animals just for the sake of adventure? And what, if his mind really did dream all this up, did this mean he was supposed to be the intended hero? 

He chortled at that. He must be getting a big ego if he was going that far. He wanted adventure, but stroking his ego in the process? That sounds more like a certain Canadian’s type of dream. 

The Russian lifted into the air, landing a double salchow for the sake of it. He wasn’t going to overdo his jumps, but he needed to move. Maybe if he moved fast enough, he could escape his racing thoughts, oh, look the wall - the wall? 

Before he realized what was happening, Viktor slammed into the wall of the rink, effectively crushing out all the air in his lungs. He collapsed on the ground, trying to regain his breath. “Shit, that’s going to hurt…” he grumbled, holding his winded sides. He hadn't done that in ages.

Yakov frowned, heading over to Viktor quickly. “Vitya, what is wrong with you today?” he gruffed. “I’m used to you being an airhead, but this is airheaded even for you.” He looked Viktor up and down. “Are you sick or something?” 

The young Russian man chuckled wryly. “Yeah. Or something.” he said, staring off once he got to his feet, breath restored. 

The old man stared levelly at Viktor. “Go home. Rest. You look like you need it.” he said. He turned around. “And don’t come back here until tomorrow. I mean it!” 

Viktor stared at Yakov in surprise, blinking after him. “...Okay.” He skated over to the edge, exiting the rink and sitting down to take off his skates and pack up his belongings. One doesn't question Yakov's generosity when he gives it. 

His mind still buzzed around his dream. He was so distracted that he nearly walked onto the ice again instead of heading towards the door. This prompted more yelling from Yakov to go home and rest, saving him the embarrassment of falling to his face on the ice. 

The silver haired Russian sighed, looking up towards the late morning sky. Well, now that he had the rest of the day off, what was he going to do? He didn’t exactly have a lot he could do, and it wasn’t even noon yet. It was too early to drink, and far too early and late to go back to bed. 

So what was he supposed to do? 

Viktor stopped walking as he neared the antique toy shop, staring up at the sign. He continued to stare even as a noisy trio of chatty boys walked by him, too wrapped up in their own conversation to notice him. Viktor barely spared them even a glance in return. 

The man stepped forward, entering the shop again. The interior was just the same as before, and the toys just as elegant as yesterday. He looked around, his brow furrowing. Just what kind of answer was he expecting to find in a toy store? It wasn’t like it was real. Just a bizarre dream that came from a bad chicken. 

No matter how stubbornly he clung to that excuse, he still felt a little unnerved. Just what was that dream? Why did it feel so real? He jumped as he caught sight of the nutcrackers, putting his hands up. He relaxed as soon as he realized that they were just toys. Feeling silly, he continued looking around, as if trying to find his answers to his questions. 

Nothing was jumping out at him, which was a sort of disappointment and relief at the same time. He turned, leaving the store and it’s odd contents. 

He shoved his hands into his pockets, bracing himself against the cold wind. As he started walking away, he could have sworn he thought he heard that same song playing softly in the wind. 

As if beckoning to him. 

Viktor hurriedly quickened his pace in a bid to return home, too frazzled to think about anything else. 

❉ ❉ ❉

Viktor stared down at the music box, again at a loss. He had hurried home as soon as he heard the music in the wind. Now he can’t hear it, but the blasted thing’s still here. 

He groaned, sitting on his couch with a flop. “What’s happening to me?” he groaned, wiping his hand down his face. He looked down at the music box, frowning. “I bet you have something to do with this.” he grumbled. He groaned again. “I bought a haunted music box. I just know it.” 

He pushed the box away from his sight, so he wouldn’t have to stare at it, and went to pull out his phone at the same time. He jumped when the box made a slight tinkling sound as he moved it. “Shit!” he exclaimed, startled. He had his arms up defensively while he stared at the box. 

Staring. 

Watching. 

“This is ridiculous. If you’re haunted, you’d do something, right?” he said, frowning suspiciously at it. He thought for another moment, thinking back to his dream. “...Or are you magic?” 

He, of course, got no response. 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I must have made the parts inside move. That’s why it sounded off. Yeah, that’s it.” He leaned back on his couch, half watching the music box before he fully relaxed. 

“Yeah. Just moved it. That’s all.” 

That didn’t mean that Viktor didn’t move the music box to another room before going to bed that night. 

❉ ❉ ❉

Viktor awoke slowly, finding himself staring up in a strangely familiar place. He sat up slowly, getting his bearings and checking his surroundings. He jumped with a jolt of realization. 

He was in Yutopia again. 

But how? And why? Wasn’t this a one time dream only thing? 

Before his thoughts could get much further, a familiar, friendly face popped up in his face space. “Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Phichit the tin toy exclaimed happily, causing Viktor to fall backwards in surprise. Thank god he wasn’t standing. 

The tin boy beamed, the painted dots that served as blush high up on his cheeks. “Wow, I didn’t think we’d be lucky enough to run into a hopper!” 

Viktor frowned. “Uh, a what?” 

Phichit grinned. “I’ll explain when we find Yuuri.” His grin grew more coy. “You _do_ want to find Yuuri, right?” he asked teasingly. "Especially after that dance~?"

Viktor blinked, surprised by the question. And surprised by his own reaction. He got up to his feet, wiping the dirt off of his clothes. “You just call him ‘Yuuri’. Why do you and Yurio call him just 'Yuuri,' while just about everyone else here calls him ' _Danseur_ Katsuki?” he inquired as he straightened up

Phichit smiled. “Well, I’m something of a valet to Yuuri, as well as his best friend, so he insists that I call him 'Yuuri'.” He put his hands behind his back, looking up at Viktor. "Shall we?" He began walking away, leaving Viktor to follow him. 

They pass by other toys and animals as they began to prepare for the day. Viktor couldn’t keep his eyes off of everything in sheer wonder of this place and it’s peculiar people. What did they all look like, before they were cursed in their current forms? It was easier with some, but others were downright curious. 

“As far as with Yurio… Well, even though he was the Prince’s page, Yuuri began teaching him how to dance ballet. Yurio’s good, but he’s nowhere near Yuuri’s level. He probably wouldn’t take the title of _danseur_ in his lifetime. Not with Yuuri around.” He grinned back at Viktor. “But that doesn’t seem to stop him from challenging Yuuri every step of the way!” 

The tin toy stopped in front of a small tent, where Viktor began to recognize voices. Phichit pushed his head through, calling in. “Yuuuuuri! Viktor’s awake!” 

“Viktor! Phichit, come in!” Yuuri exclaimed, surprise in his voice, while an annoyed scoff indicated Yurio with him. Phichit smiled back at Viktor and slipped into the tent while Viktor stood awkwardly outside. He took a steady breath, then plunged into the tent. 

He looked around, surprised at how small and uncharacteristic the tent looked. It definitely looked like it was made more for planning than for resting. Do dolls rest? He’s going to have to ask that later. 

He noticed Yuuri and Yurio together, hunched over a map that was spread over a table near the center of the tent, eyes trained on the paper. Phichit joined their sides, regarding the map as well before everyone remembered to look at Viktor. 

Yuuri smiled in relief at Viktor as he looked. Viktor’s heart stuttered briefly at the strange cuteness of that expression. For someone so plain looking, he managed to look pretty cute. “Viktor. I was worried that you were sick or something. You fell asleep so suddenly.” He jabbed an articulated finger at the tin toy, Viktor suppressing a shudder as he viewed the ball joints in his fingers. “This guy here was being cryptic and annoying and wouldn’t tell me what’s wrong.” 

“Nothing’s wrong, Yuuri!” Phichit assured, smiling. “Just peachy!” 

Yuuri frowned. “Phichit, we don’t have time for this. Share with us what you discovered last night.” 

Phichit's smile grew bigger, rubbing his hands together. “Well, it turns out that our Viktor here has a bit of magic of his own: he can travel to us in his dreams!” 

Yuuri’s eyes widened, then turned to stare at Viktor. “Really? You’re a hopper?” 

Viktor raised an eyebrow. “Hopper…?” he echoed, confused. 

“Dimension hopper. Someone who can hop between dimensions in...shall we say for example, dreams?.” Phichit stated, smile unending. “You woke up here when you fell asleep, right?" 

Viktor jumped, startled. What a weird dream he was having. “Uh, yes, but what does that have to do with - “ 

“For hoppers, some places of the world can seem to be a dream to you, but would be like an alternate reality.” he explained, tenting his fingers together playfully. “For example, our world is a dream to you. It’s real as can be, because it is real. However, since you seem to be able to get here by sleeping, it’s more like a dream for you.” 

The tin toy nodded reassuringly as he continued. “Wherever you are now, you are dreaming there. In your world. Your spirit, however, travelled here, to our world. Dimension hopping.” He smiled. “It’s a pretty weird power, but it’s also pretty useful. Your host body won’t be affected too much from what happens to you here, but that doesn’t mean you won’t wake up sore in the morning!”

Viktor stared in confusion. “But I’ve never done this before! And I certainly don’t remember having such… vivid dreams such as this, except the one time where my poodle was flying on rainbow.” he stated, looking between the toys and the cat boy. “I’m sorry, but I’m a twenty seven year old man. I wouldn’t be dreaming about talking toys and animals at my age.” 

“I understand that it’s a lot to take in, Viktor.” Yuuri said gently, smiling. “So take your time, okay? Maybe you just have the power temporarily." He leaned forward, fixing his eyes on Viktor as he studied him. The Russian couldn't help but feel like he was actually looking at someone who certainly held authority. His doll-like structure kept making him forget this. "Did anything significant happen in your realm that caused you to enter ours?” 

He stared at the doll blankly, then shrugged helplessly. “Nothing comes to mind. I've been preparing my Grand Prix Final programs at the moment, but that’s about it.” 

The toys and cat boy stared in confusion. “‘Grand Prix Final’? What the hell is that?” Yurio asked, glaring at Viktor.

Viktor sighed heavily. “Apparently a foreign concept in this...dimension…” he said with remorse. “It’s an ice skating event. I’m a professional ice skater.” 

Yuuri brightened in glee. “We used to do that!” he exclaimed excitedly. The doll’s face contorted into a look of embarrassment, and he stared back down at the map. “M-me and the prince, anyways. We used to skate together.” His fingers traced the map in careful circles, his head not lifting once. “Our engagement party was an ice skating party…”

Yuri stuck his tongue out. “Bleh, _don’t_ remind me. You guys were all over each other at the party, doing all those fancy lifts and stuff.” 

Viktor brightened. “You can ice skate, too?” he asked excitedly the doll excitedly

Yuuri finally looked up at him. “Uh, I thought I kind of already established that…” he said awkwardly, shifting on his feet.

Viktor reddened, embarrassed. “Right. Sorry. Just surprised.” He looked at the other two boys, clearing his throat. “So, what is it that you want with me? I’m assuming that you may need me for something?” If this was a dream, why not try to be the hero? 

The three younger men looked between each other, as if having a wordlessly conversation. It was Phichit who shrugged helplessly. “We don’t know yet.” he admitted. 

Viktor stared, feeling stupid. “What?” 

Yuuri scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Well, we just now theorized that you may be a hopper. We don’t know what to do with you, or if you could be of any help for our predicament.” he admitted as well. “It’s not often that this kind of thing happens. We’re just blown away by this.” 

“Then what do I do?” Viktor asked, pointing to himself. “What if I keep coming here?” 

The _danseur_ sighed. “If we find a use for you, then we would obviously talk to you and let you know. Otherwise, we really don’t know.” 

Viktor pouted at that. "'Find a use for me.' I'm not a tool..." he complained, looking down. 

Yuuri jumped, shaking his hands frantically. "Th-that's not what I - !" he began before he was interrupted rudely by the cat boy beside him

"Could have fooled me." Yurio replied with a snort. He leaned against the table, looking up at the doll. "Yuuri. We've got to leave for patrol." 

Yuuri sighed, waving his hand. "Right, right. Of course." He turned to Viktor, smiling again. "Well, we best leave for our patrol. We're covering the woods again today." He looked down awkwardly, fidgeting his hands. "Um... Would you like to come with us?" he asked, looking up at Viktor over the frames of his glasses, big brown eyes gleaming from the morning light filtering in the tent. 

Viktor blushed faintly at that gaze in those eyes. It was unfairly beautiful, striking, even. He couldn't help but wonder what this doll could have looked like as a human, all cleaned up and groomed, dressed in prettier clothes fit for a dancer, rather than the ridiculously large and baggy ones he wore now. And such a hideous shade of baby blue, too. 

He cleared his throat, looking away. "Only if I'm not too much of a burden. I mean, I don't know what help I'd be, but I would like to understand the world that I'm in better." He gave him his warm, heart shaped smile. "After all, if I'm a hopper like you said, it'd be good if I learn about this place, da?" 

Yuuri smiled faintly at him. "Of course. We'd be happy to take you in our party, Viktor." he said firmly, nodding affirmatively. 

Yurio bristled. "What the hell?! We're not taking him!" he snapped. 

"He just said he'd like to come." Yuuri said simply. "So what's wrong with that?" 

"Everything! What if he's not a hopper, but a spy?! He could be betraying us right now, Yuuri!" the cat boy spat, glaring at Viktor distrustfully. The older man fought the urge to flinch from the boy's harsh green glare, reminded too eerily of the green eyed cat from the antique toy shop he had visited. 

Phichit laughed while the doll leader rubbed his temples. "You're so paranoid, Yurio!" Phichit exclaimed, the tin toy wrapping his arms around the cat boy warmly. "Relax!" 

"I'm not relaxing! I'm being cautious! Fuck you and your 'relax,' Chulanont!" 

Phichit whined and grabbed a hold of Yuuri. "Yuuuuuri, Yurio's being mean!" he whined, hanging off of Yuuri's neck. The older boy's eyes widened in surprise as suddenly the two youngest males in the room began bickering. Viktor saw the light in Yuuri's eyes die as he's stuck in the middle of the bickering, looking like a broken man already. 

He pitied the poor doll for his eccentric friends. For someone so calm and quiet, two boisterous and strong willed friends must be a trying thing to have. 

Yuuri let out a long suffering sigh, looking over at Viktor, his face plainly saying, 'This is what I have to live with every day.' 

Viktor chuckled, giving him a sympathetic look. He turned his attention to the two arguing friends in hopes to spare Yuuri of his continued suffering. "Um, not to interrupt, but don't you have a patrol that needs to be started?" he asked, smiling warmly. 

PHichit grinned. "Right! Let's get going!" he declared, grabbing Viktor's arm and dragging him away. "Those woods aren't going to clear themselves of nutcrackers, after all!" 

Viktor heard an audible gasp as Yurio could be heard stomping behind him. "GET BACK HERE I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET CHULANONT!" 

"P-please, you two, stop arguing!" Yuuri could be heard begging after them, following after the other three towards the woods. 

What a strange, merry band they make: a grown man, a cat boy, a wind up tin toy, and a ball jointed doll. 

Viktor's becoming more and more convinced that maybe he should stop blaming his dream on the chicken anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for continuing to read this! I'm trying to wrap up the exposition in this so that the story can continue forward. Not saying that it'd be completely gone, but a couple of the important ones have been covered for now. Some of my personal favorites that I have brewing will come up in the following chapters! So please read! *bows gratefully* 
> 
> (Also comments are nice... O///O )


	5. So What Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor is stuck with the knowledge that these guys don't know what to do with him. And that's a little annoying, if you ask him. Oh, and there's a vulture the size of of freaking semi flying in the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having a little bit of trouble getting the kick-off to what drives them to make their decision to go forth, so it's been a lot of hemming and hawing on this... I hope that it's satisfactory...
> 
> But things should pick up from there! I promise! DX

Viktor followed after the toys, his mind still whirling in confusion. He didn't know what to think about the idea that he had powers. Then again, he desperately wished that this was still a dream, but his companions seemed to think otherwise. Of course, they didn't seem to know what to do with him, either.

He sighed heavily. Was he ever going to have a peaceful night's sleep again?

The Russian skater sighed again without thinking, drawing the attention of the last person who needed to hear it.

“Oi! Shitty old man!” Yurio growled, tail swishing angrily. “Quit it with the sighing! You're being annoying!”

Viktor glowered, puffing up. “You try finding out you have powers!” he said petulantly, pouting. He was being childish, but so what? He wasn't exactly getting answers, nor any directions. 

“Try becoming a cat! Or a toy! Don't you dare try getting pity here!” he snapped, tailing fluffing in anger.

Yuuri sighed, putting a hand to his head wearily. “Yura, stop the antagonizing behavior. He's just a little overwhelmed right now.” the doll reasoned, his tone tired. 

The cat boy grumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets. “He needs to stop being so vocal about it, then! Stop the goddamn sighing! It's giving me a headache!!”

The doll let out a long suffering sigh. “Phichit. Help. These two are going to drive me crazy.” he said monotonously, turning his attention to the dark skinned boy.

The tin toy laughed, patting his friend's shoulder. “You should be used to this, Yuuri! Don't you remember that the prince and Yurio always fought like this?”

“It's been years since I've had to put up with it,” Yuuri replied, running a hand down his face. “And I was hardly able to get them to get along then, remember? I thought you're supposed to know everything.” he challenged.

Phichit gasped, putting a hand to his heart. “Yuuri, you wound me! I thought we were friends!” he cried.

“Not my fault if your information is fading and you’re forgetting.” Yuuri said bluntly, turning to fix the young man with a stare. His eyes softened almost instantly. “Shit. Sorry, Phichit. I didn’t mean it like that, I promise!” 

Phichit pouted, looking down. “I know. That hurts, though.” He frowned as he closed his eyes. “That king’s spell that he has on all of us to forget the Prince really messes with my magic. I don’t know if I can confidently remember who was dating who now.” 

“Phi, don’t be like that!” Yuuri begged, alarmed now. 

Phichit threw an arm dramatically over his eyes, moaning. “Yuuri, you savage! You know how much I love my magic, being in the know! Knowing everything about everyone! So savage!” 

“I’m sorry!!” Yuuri exclaimed, looking clearly upset at upsetting his friend. It took Viktor and Yurio a lot quicker to know that Phichit was and has been teasing Yuuri for a while now and was milking it. 

Yurio growled. “Quit teasing Yuuri, Phichit! We’ve still got shit to do!” the cat boy quipped. 

Phichit pouted at him. “You’re no fun, Yurio. Let me have my revenge - I mean my fun!” the tin toy said, flashing Yuuri an innocent grin. The doll returned his grin with a disgruntled sigh once he realized that he was being teased. The younger toy hugged his neck happily in response, nuzzling up against his cheek. 

Viktor chuckled at the sight. “I have to agree with Yurio here. We do have a lot of ground to cover, yes?” the Russian asked kindly, turning his attention to the leader. 

Yuuri nodded, coming back to his senses. "R-right. Let's move out." He pushed Phichit gently off of him and started leading their little group again through the woods. “Look alive, everyone. Nutcrackers could be anywhere.” 

The band continued to walk carefully through the woods, the cheerful banter from before quieting to soft, muffled reports of sightings. The trees overheard were the same near burgundy pink that Viktor saw the first time, now knowing that this was, in fact, what the world looked like sick. He ran his fingers gently over the silvery bark of the trees on their march through, contemplating the colors, and what this place must have looked like before. It surely had to have been beautiful. 

He looked over at Yuuri as the doll walked up to a tree that had initials on it. In it's trunk was one of those goofy, childish heart shaped carvings, with the initials “Y + V” also carved in the middle. It was cheesy, and Viktor would have chuckled had he not watched Yuuri gently caress his jointed fingers over the wood, his warm brown eyes shimmering with sadness and tears that would not fall even if they tried. 

It must be another memento of his fiancé, attached to this world that the _danseur_ treasured. Yuuri struck Viktor to be the sentimental type, what with how he acted whenever the prince was mentioned. The Russian couldn’t help but think the prince exceptionally lucky. Yuuri was obviously very devoted to him, and loved him dearly enough to devote himself to rebelling for the sake of their world, his prince's kingdom. Hopefully that devotion was appreciated by the missing prince. 

The _danseur_ turned away from the carving, resuming his position at the point of the trek, leading the others further down into the forest. The sea of deep pink parted into a small clearing, allowing for the sun to shine through. Suddenly, there was the sound of air stirring in the sky. Yuuri stilled as he heard the sound. Viktor watched as his eyes widened, turning to his companions in horror. “RUN!!!” Then the doll bolted, heading into the thick of the wood. 

The other two inhabitants of the world didn’t hesitate, bolting without a second thought. However, Viktor stayed rooted in his spot, confused. What were they supposed to run from? He got his answer from above, as the largest shadow covered the ground below him suddenly. He looked up, only to spy the largest vulture he has ever seen. 

Yeah...nope. 

Viktor followed rather speedily after his companions after seeing the massive bird. The toys ran frantically along the ground, ignoring the slaps of branches and snagging of brush as they ran. Yurio seemed to have taken to the trees and was leaping with the ease and grace of a cat from limb to limb, keeping to the shadows. Viktor had a little bit more of a struggle, as he was older than the others, with Yuuri probably being the only one remotely close to his own age, as well as following the path the toys took, which led to quite a bit of pain and discomfort. 

The vulture still soared over the sky, shadowing them as they ran. Viktor felt like he could almost be sucked up into the air like a vacuum from the power of those wings, which was a very disconcerting thought. It let out a dreadful caw and swooped low, beak open, talons poised for striking.

Viktor jumped and ran harder, determined to not become vulture food, keeping pace easily with Phichit now (if he wasn't before, that is). It let out another caw, in which he yelped without a whole lot of dignity and maturity. Holy shit, this bird could swallow him whole! 

The leader of their group soon spotted safety up ahead. The jointed doll picked up the pace, sliding into a thorny hole inside the thicket. “Duck!!” Yuuri commanded again, and the toy disappeared into the rather particularly dense underbrush as the bird began swooping again. Phichit followed immediately after him, followed quickly by Yurio. Viktor continued huffing and puffing, the only things stopping him from stopped being his companions calling for him from a place of safety. Or, he could be vulture food.

Viktor slid into the brush just as the giant buzzard tried to grab him with its terrible talons. The Russian stared, ignoring the pain in his limbs as the bird cawed in fury, now getting a good look at those talons. Damn, those things could slice him open if he were any slower. It cawed angrily once more at them them before it flew off in search of new quarry.

Viktor continued to pant, staring wide eyed at the buzzard as it became a black speck in the distance. He was slowly starting to register the thorns in his sides - literally. These things hurt. However, he wasn't feeling quite brave enough to exit out of the safety of the prickly thicket just yet.

The Russian turned to the others, who he noticed were also watching the sky carefully. He decided now was a good time to get answers. “Wh-what was that?!” he gasped, his breathing recovering back to normal, all the adrenaline gone from his system. 

“The king's pet.” Phichit said solemnly, his eyes never leaving the sky. “It's job is to catch us and take us to the castle.” He looked over at Viktor, his usual cheer gone. “To make us his servants.” he added darkly. 

“That's a pretty way to put it.” Yurio snorted crossly. His tail and ears betrayed him, however, as his cat ears folded back and his tail swished with nervous energy. Viktor could already tell that becoming a 'servant' was not an ideal for these people...and honestly, who could blame them? 

The first to move was, surprisingly (or rather unsurprisingly) Yuuri, the doll quietly army crawling along the ground on his belly, poking his head out of the entrance. He slowly crept out of the brush carefully, his brown eyes alert as he stepped out into the clearing. The doll called out after a few minutes. “It's clear. The buzzard's gone.”

"Ugh, finally!!" Yurio complained, wriggling past Viktor in a hurry, ignoring Viktor's annoyed sound as he was pushed further into the thorns. "These thorns are killing me!" 

Viktor and the others slowly crawled out one after the other, him and the cat boy grumbling now about the pain from prickly branches. At least their feelings were mutual about their impromptu hiding place. The Russian skater turned to look at Yuuri, who was pulled thorns out of his coveralls carefully. "How long have you all been living like this?" he wondered aloud. 

Yuuri paused in his picking, his eyes blinking in surprise. A sadness filled his eyes, and bled into his smile. "I think the correct answer would be too long." he lamented, sighing. He looked up at him again. "Which is why we're trying to do all we can to stop him, obviously." 

"Yeah, except we haven't really had any luck with that." Phichit sighed, sitting on a stump to pick at the thorns in his breeches. 

Viktor frowned as he thought. "...Well, was there anything else that happened?" he asked, tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully.

The trio looked up at him. "Huh?" Yurio asked rudely. 

"What do you mean?" Yuuri asked, blinking at him curiously. 

The Russian thought carefully as he spoke slowly. "The day the king arrived... What was happening that day? What all happened?" 

Yuuri frowned and thought carefully. "The day the king arrived... That was the day of the engagement party..." Yuuri mused, going along with Viktor's thoughts. 

Phichit nodded, joining in on the brainstorming as well. "Everyone's having fun. Those two were hugging each other all night. They slipped away to do something _fun_ , I believe." he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows at Yuuri. 

The doll slapped a jointed hand to his face. "Phichit, _no_. We did nothing. My fiancé was a perfect gentleman. He wanted to give me what he called 'the first of many wedding gifts to come.'" He shook his head fondly. "That man. I could never talk him out of spoiling me silly." he mused, putting his hand to his cheek.

"Focus, assholes!" Yurio complained as he, too, began thinking. "Everyone's skating, having fun, I guess. JJ face planted the fucking ice with his girlfriend watching. It was great." 

"Who's having trouble focusing now?" Phichit teased, laughing as Yurio blew a raspberry at him. The tin toy thought carefully. "Yuuri and the prince returned, but then the king appeared." 

Yuuri nodded, his face becoming dark. "The king appeared. The prince walked up to him, asking him to state his business, and why he was ruining our engagement party." The doll's eyes darkened with sadness. "The king then proclaimed that he was going to be king now." 

"And then the prince disappeared." Phichit added, biting his lip. "Yuuri's dad tried to stop him, but the king turned him into a crystal ball. Then..." He looked to Yuuri worriedly. 

"He started turning the guests into toys or animals," the doll said grimly, "using my father's magic." His hands curled up into fists, his body shaking slightly. "I told him to stop, and to return everything back to normal. He then...he then had the _gall_ to tell me to marry him. I obviously refused." He turned to Phichit and Yurio after that. "I don't remember much after that, as that was when _I_ was transformed." 

Yurio nodded. "Yeah. He turned you into a doll and decided to leave you without a heart, so that he could control you." he said. 

"Only your dad still seemed to have fight in him, and was able to turn that gift of yours from the prince into your new heart!" Phichit exclaimed excitedly, grinning. "But then everything really went to hell after that. Everyone was still being transformed, the trees started turning... It was as if the world was dying." 

Viktor frowned. "How did the king even get here in the first place?" the Russian asked seriously. 

Phichit, Yuuri, and Yurio all blinked, as if a revelation was brought to them. "...That's the thing. He shouldn't have been able to get here..." Yuuri said slowly, his eyes going wide. 

"You shouldn't even be able to get here, hopper or not..." Phichit added, looking at Viktor curiously. 

"Not unless the heart was removed..." Yurio added, his green eyes also widening in alarm. 

"Which means that the heart of our world was removed somehow!" Yuuri exclaimed, shocked. While it made no sense to the Russian, it seemed to make sense to the toys and cat. 

"Heart of the world?" Viktor echoed, tilting his head to the side. 

The trio nodded vigorously. "The heart, the main source of our world's life and magic!" Phichit explained. "Without it, everything here would die!" 

"But since we're all still here somehow, and even have our magic," Yuuri added, hope coloring his voice, "that must mean that the heart's still here, and out of the king's hands!" 

"Right! Because with the heart, he could control the world! Literally!" Phichit said. He grabbed the two Yuris hands and bounced around, forcing them to go around in a merry circle. "Since he doesn't have the heart, we must find it first and restore it!" he exclaimed cheerfully. 

"That's our mission!" Yuuri exclaimed, ecstatic. Yurio even smiled in response. 

Viktor smiled, looking pleased. "So, where do we start?" 

Phichit grinned, smiling. "No idea. But it's the best idea we've got yet to getting rid of the king, and getting our world back!" 

The Russian sighed, shaking his head. Well, it's a step in the right direction, he supposed. But did it really have to take that long to figure that out? (He's still holding out that this was all just a big dream.) "Well, then, I say we should get started." he said ambitiously, smiling at the trio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if it makes any sense or not, but I'm sorry if this was somewhat lackluster... It only took...five chapters to get to this point. Please leave comments!


	6. Brainstorming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor stresses out on how he can help, and Yuuri has a dangerous suggestion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter's the one to help FINALLY kick off the adventure, as I've finally figured out how to get it there, or rather, to bridge it to where I need to go. So yay for progress (finally)! I hope you enjoy!

Back in the real world (or rather Viktor’s real world), the Russian skater was lost in thought once again, pondering over all the new information he got from last night’s dream. He tapped at a notebook in his lap, which was littered with a number of theories as to what was happening to him, both in the real world and this alternate world. 

In the real world, everything seems to be fine. Yakov was the same as always. His rink mates were the same as always. Even Lilia Baranovskaya, it seems, was the same as always. 

So was he just imagining things, then? Or was this some sort of alternate reality of everyone in this world, Viktor’s world? He did hear at least one name that was familiar to him from this world, but he wasn’t completely sure. This could all still be a dream. A realistic, intense, unbelievably magical dream. 

Which brings him to this alternate world. The dream world, as he still tries to desperately refer to it. These people in this world were obviously in trouble, and needed help. No one wants to be oppressed and living in fear, after all. That’s just no way to live life. However, with the heart of the world missing, the denizens of this world could only do so much about their situation. 

According to the tin toy Phichit, restoring the heart should be able to restore the world back to it’s former glory, and free everyone from the king’s acquired magic. The main problem would be finding the heart. If they can find it, then they just have to bring it back to the castle, where unfortunately, the king decided to make it his fortress. 

Luckily, the trio he has befriended know their way well around the castle, so unless any major changes had been made, they should be able to navigate their ways to the room the heart’s supposed to be housed, and go from there. 

The Russian sighed, flopping his head back, his bangs falling away from his eyes. He closed his blue eyes and thought, humming, funny enough, the melody from his new music box. He opened his eyes and looked down at said box. 

He had brought it back out into the living room once he woke up that morning, and spent a good half hour studying the plain, unadorned box before he had made himself eat breakfast and grabbed his notepad and pen. 

He frowned and opened the box slowly, staring at the figure inside. A portion of the song played, only a few short notes, before the figure went still again. Instead of winding it, Viktor brought the box close to his face, examining the inside. 

The plush blue velvet blanketed the entire inside, the sheen of the fabric the same as the first time he saw it. The crystal of the pedestal the figurine was still the same, clear cut that it was. The mirror in the lid was still intact, the pearls and silver just as shiny as before. The figurine was still perched atop the crystal pedestal, as elegant as ever. 

Viktor squinted at the character inside the box, trying to make out the features. He couldn’t really distinguish any recognizable features, plus it didn’t help that the face was excruciatingly tiny. 

He huffed and sat it back down on the table, staring down at it again. This was the only odd thing that he could think of that happened. He bought the music box, then went home. Well, he went to the store, obviously fir- 

The Russian stiffened, a thought crossing his head. “The store! Maybe there’s an answer there!” he exclaimed, face bright with excitement. “There must be a clue there, right?!” He raced to his front door, shoving his coat and shoes on as quickly as he could manage, the thoughts racing through his head. “I’ll talk to the old man, and find out where he got the music box from! Maybe it’s magic or something!” 

As he shut the door and locked it, the room went quiet. Then very slowly, the figurine turned, playing a couple notes before falling silent once more. 

❉ ❉ ❉

“What the hell?! _Closed?!?!_ ” Viktor exclaimed in disbelief, staring at the neat little ‘closed’ sign taped on the front door. He banged his head against the wall. “It can’t be!! I ran all the way here, too!” he whined, shaking his head. 

He was too busy wallowing as a group of boys passed by him. 

“...Is he okay?” 

“Don’t look at him. He’s acting weird.” 

“This is too funny! Should I post about it on Instagram?” 

The boys left the suffering Russian to his misery, their voices fading in the wind. Viktor whimpered, staring into the display window of the shop. So much for answers. Everything looked antique here. Chances are, he really did pick up a magic music box and is now cursed or something. Great. 

The Russian trudged back home, dejected. He didn’t want to go to sleep tonight. Oh, he wanted to see the others, but he wanted to have one night where he wasn’t being chased by nutcrackers and giant vultures, running around with dolls and cats. 

This was stuff a ten year old would dream about, not twenty seven year old men. 

He sighed, head hanging in defeat. He’ll just have to try again tomorrow. But oh, God… He didn’t want to go back to sleep, for a certain reason. He can’t face them. He can’t. Especially if he didn’t know what to do. They hardly knew what they were doing, too. But call it a weird adult thing, but Viktor felt like he should at least have an inkling of an idea of what to do, since his otherworldly companions seemed to be younger than him. Dammit. 

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and began trudging back to his apartment. What can he do now? It wasn’t like he could find a ‘how-to’ book on what to do in situations like this. 

He brightened at the thought. Why not?! Everything else seems to be happening, why not that?! The logic of this world was messed up, anyway, so there would absolutely be a book on such times as this! 

He quickly booked it to the nearest bookstore in the area, hoping against hope that there was, indeed, such a book. 

❉ ❉ ❉

It seems that, despite all possible odds that there was a possible, short cut way out of all of this, there was no book that could provide him with such tools. 

Not a single damn book in all of St. Petersburg, Russia. 

Not. A. One. 

God. Dammit. 

Viktor leaned back on his couch, groaning in frustration. He had tried every bookstore in the immediate area, metropolitan, and downtown areas. He even tried Gaggle and Amazin. But nothing. 

Weren’t dreams supposed to be, I don’t know, dreams? Not long lasting, episodic chapters in a life? No? Not for Viktor? Shit. 

The skater pouted over at his beloved poodle. “What am I gonna do, Makka?” he whined, rolling over onto his stomach. “I can’t go back without an inkling of a plan.” 

Makkachin grunted, turning onto his side to look at Viktor. His fluffy tail thumped the floor happily at the sight of his master. 

Said master was still pouting. “I guess I’ll have to return empty handed tonight.” he said, regret in his voice. He groaned. “If only there was an idea of where to start looking.” 

He sat up slowly, turning his attention to the notepad on his table still. He sighed, then picked it back up. He tapped the pencil to his lips, thinking hard. He began scribbling down notes again. 

_1\. Need to break the spell. How: find the Heart  
2\. Find the Heart. How: ...no clue_

Viktor frowned, running his hands through his hair. He didn’t like not having all the pieces. It unsettled him. He bit at the pen before he started another list. 

_1\. Yuuri: Rebel leader. Fiancé to the prince of the world. King wants to marry him. Can make music with his body._  
2.Phichit: Yuuri’s friend and servant. Knows everything.   
3.Yurio: Cat and prince’s servant. No known magic.   
4.Prince: Unknown. Location, unknown. Banished by King. Yuuri’s fiancé. 

Viktor frowned, staring down at this new list. This was even less helpful than the first list, but it was something. He tapped his pen to his lips again, looking between the two lists. 

“We need to find the Heart, but we don’t know where it went…” he murmured to himself. He circled Yuuri’s name. “He was the last person alone with the prince… So he’d most likely have the most information regarding the Heart. Unless, of course, the King’s magic made that memory fuzzy, too.” 

He frowned and added another number to his second list. 

_5\. King: Foreigner. Bad. Wants to marry Yuuri. Made everyone forget the prince, and turned them into toys/animals. Super rude._

He frowned again. “What does the King want with the world? Doesn’t he have his own world?” he mused aloud. “And if he wants it, he has to control the Heart. No Heart, no control.” His brow furrowed deeply. “But no Heart means no world, which means everyone would die…” 

He leaned his head back, head hurting. “Shiiiit.” 

❉ ❉ ❉

“Wow. You look like crap.” Yurio remarked, glaring up at Viktor. The Russian man looked disheveled, his appearance less than the perfect image that he usually was able to pull off flawlessly. However, hours upon hours of doing nothing but stare at the same two lists that he made with nothing to go off of was pure torture. 

He managed a disheartened laughed. “I’ve been trying to think of a solution for hours,” he replied tiredly, running a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t help that I hardly feel like I’ve slept when I’ve been running around with you guys last night.” 

Yurio snorted. “Well, you’re not the only one stressing over it.” He jabbed a thumb over to a familiar tent. “Yuuri’s been in there all night since you left us. Hasn’t even stepped out once.” He turned on his heel. “Come on. Maybe talking with you will do him good.” 

Viktor reluctantly followed after the cat boy, feeling his feet drag heavily. He just wanted one night’s peace. Just one night. Was that too much to ask? 

He didn’t know what to expect when the boy pulled the flap to the tent back, revealing a very disorganized and even more disheveled tent than Viktor felt. 

“Darling!” He was even more caught off-guard when the doll came flying out at Viktor. The Russian gasped, holding out his arms to hold him in his arms. 

Yuuri was holding the front of Viktor’s shirt tightly in his hands, giving Viktor a perfect close-up of each articulated joint, head buried into his chest. He stared down at the messy appearance of the doll, concern on his face. “Y-Yuuri?” he stammered, eyes fixated on the doll hanging on to him. 

Yuuri looked up at him, his brown eyes brimming. He blinked in confusion, as if recognizing him. He let go of Viktor, stammering in embarrassment. “S-sorry. Y-you just… Your frame. I-it looked so much like my fiancé’s, I-I just - I-I thought…” Viktor’s heart sank as he saw the light in the doll’s eyes fade. “I’m sorry.” 

Viktor shook his head, putting a hand on the leader’s shoulder. “It’s okay. You look exhausted.” he said, looking him up and down. “It’d be understandable if you are seeing things. Have you tried sleeping at all?” 

Yuuri let out an exasperated laugh. “Sleep? I can’t sleep. I’m a toy. I haven’t slept in years.” 

Viktor blushed deeply in response. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-!” 

“Phichit!” Yuuri called, pushing past Viktor, his brown eyes firm again, making the Russian feel guilty. “Please tell me that you remember where the Caves are?” 

“The Caves? Why do you want to go there?” The tin toy popped up to his side, looking up at the older boy. Viktor and Yurio looked between each other and helplessly followed after the other two. 

Yuuri’s face was a firm mask of stoicism, which looked foreign on him. “The Caves have the Seer there, right? If we go there, if we locate the Seer, then we can get a read on the Heart.” he said firmly. “We’ll need a token from _Danseur_ Baranovskaya to gain us an audience with her, since the Seer is a stubborn one.” 

“The Seer?! No way, nu-uh!” Yurio exclaimed, balking at the idea. “Are you finally going crazy?! The Seer’s crazy! The Seer practically supports the bastard King! You can’t seriously be thinking of going to see her!!” 

The _danseur_ frowned. “Not like we have much choice. I’m just hoping a token from _Danseur_ Baranovskaya will grant us an audience with her. She’s always been...fond of her.” 

“Yeah, but she also went mad when the King’s spells affected her, too.” Phichit added, looking up worriedly at Yuuri. “Seriously, this is a bad idea, Yuuri. She’s crazy.” 

“I’m sure we can think of something if she tries something funny.” Yuuri said confidently. 

Viktor turned to Yurio for an explanation. “The Seer’s batshit crazy, and likes to collect stuff.” he stated. “She was harmless before, but like the rest of us...she got changed. And let’s just say her new form has done some crazy shit to her head.” 

The Russian shuddered at the thought. “What would she want?” 

Phichit frowned at Yuuri, but answered Viktor’s question, “The same thing as the King: control over the world.” he said solemnly. “She thinks she’s so powerful that she deserves to be queen of everyone.” He rolled his eyes. “Of course that’s not happening, as she went crazy. But she also wants the prince.” He jabbed a thumb towards Yuuri. “So she’s gonna want to kill him. Using her logic, of course.” 

“Enough. I’ve made up my mind.” Yuuri snapped, opening an entry into another tent, disappearing inside. Phichit narrowed his eyes and followed in after him, dragging Yurio and Viktor behind him. 

“Absolutely not, _Danseur_ Katsuki.” A stern female voice said, authority embedded in the voice. Viktor stared at two dolls in the same tent, admiring the beauty of their forms. One was a woman with long brown hair and clever dark eyes, her body set in an eternal pirouette. The other woman was older, her brown hair pulled into a tight bun on the top of her head, her own body appearing to be made of porcelain. 

One porcelain finger tapped at the table in front of her, her green eyes staring fiercely up at Yuuri. “I will not have you put yourself in that kind of danger, Katsuki.” 

Yuuri bowed to the older woman, keeping his eyes fixed on her. “I’m sorry, _Danseur_ Baranovskaya, but it’s the only thing I can think of. She might be willing to help if we had a token from you. You know how obsessed she is with you.” 

The younger woman frowned deeply. “Yuuri, it’s dangerous. You’re too precious to this world to go on this mission! If my joints could move, and _Danseur_ Baranovskaya wasn’t so fragile, we would go ourselves!” 

“But you can’t! I can!” Yuuri insisted, lifting his head up again. “Phichit’s magic is still unable to work. The Seer’s magic was hardly affected at all by the curse. She’s the only key we have right now for finding the Heart.” 

“Yuuri.” The older woman stared intently into warm brown eyes. “She will kill you if she gets the chance. You know she can’t be trusted.” 

The doll sighed, nodding. “I know. But I won’t go alone.” He gestured to the others. “I will bring these three with me. I trust them with my life.” 

The old woman looked up at them, fixing her eyes onto each one. Her eyes lingered longer on Viktor, as if appraising him. “Who is he?” she asked flatly, pointing to the silver-haired man. 

Yuuri looked up, as if seeing Viktor for the first time. “Oh! That’s Viktor!” He turned back to her quickly. “He’s a hopper. He’s from another world.” He turned to Viktor again. "Viktor, these two are _Danseurs_ Baranovskaya and Okukawa. They were the _danseurs_ before me, until they took me under their wing to teach me." he explained. 

Viktor bowed to the two of them, smiling kindly. "It is a pleasure to meet you both at last." he said politely, hoping he didn't look too wild and crazy.

_Danseur_ Okukawa smirked slightly at him. "He's a charmer." she noted, wiggling her eyebrows. 

Yuuri's eyes were trained on Baranovskaya. "Madam Lilia, please... It's the only lead we've got right now. I want to bring peace back to our world. Please. We have to do this. The Seer's our best option to finding the Heart." He sank down to one knee, bowing his head to her. "Please." 

Lilia's fierce green eyes flashed. "Stand, Yuuri. _Danseurs_ don't beg, and I won't have you starting that trend now." she scolded. "Chin up. Now." Yuuri quickly rose to his feet, lifting his chin up enough to look her in the eyes. Her fingers rose up to a broach that was nestled on her coat, stiffly removing it from the coat. She held it out towards Yuuri, dropping it into his outstretched hands. "This should suffice for her...collection." she said, staring at Yuuri while the young doll's eyes were wide with shock. "Do not allow her to walk all over you, and do _not_ let her control you. You're too important to be lost to us, Yuuri."

Yuuri nodded, still in shock. "I... Y-yes, _Danseur_ Baranovskaya. I won't let you down!" he said determinedly, clutching the broach in his hands. 

_Danseur_ Okukawa pouted. "Aw, why are you being so lenient to the little squirt? You wouldn't have let me get away with things like that!" 

"Unlike you, Katsuki doesn't stand up to me often. It's good when he shows me a backbone now and then." the older woman stated, settling back in her chair. 

The younger woman rolled her eyes in response, then turned her attention to Yuuri and the others. "Just...be careful, all of you." she stressed, staring them each down. "It's dangerous in the Caves, and the Seer is even more dangerous. It's not going to be a picnic." 

Phichit nodded gravely. "We'll make sure we all make it out in one piece." he promised, bowing to the women. "I give my word on that." 

Yurio grunted, crossing his arms. "Same. I'll keep these dumbasses in line." Yuuri quickly smacked him in the abdomen for the swear, eliciting another swear in response. 

Viktor looked between the two women, then went the same route as Phichit and bowed to them again. "I will do all within my power to keep them safe." he vowed seriously, his bangs falling over his eye. 

The older woman stared, appraising him. "You remind me of someone... But I can't place my finger on who..." she mused, tapping her finger on the table. Viktor stared at her in confusion as she waved it off. "No matter. You must gather your supplies and depart as quickly as possible. It is a long journey to the Caves, and the sooner you leave here, the sooner you arrive." She bowed her head slightly. "I bid thee all farewell, and safe travels." 

And so, the men left the tent, Viktor pondering over the women's reactions of seeing him, even as they whispered, "Why does he seem familiar?" 

"I don't know, but I hope that it is for the best."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so _now_ I should be able to get this to where it needs to go, as I had left the last chapter at, it seems, to have been at a bad lead off into this chapter. Luckily, I was able to recover it...I hope. Please comment and let me know! Also, if there are more fun story elements that you see from past stories/movies/etc, feel free to voice it! I love seeing all the connects that you guys find in this fic!


	7. To the Caves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lads make a journey to the caves, dreading the meeting with the Seer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this was so late in updating! Things have been crazy on this end, with family in town as well as having a bit of a writer's block/wanting to write other stories that weren't even relevant to the stories I'm writing now. -_-; I'm very sorry. 
> 
> Hopefully you'll still enjoy this! I've made a cliff hanger!

“So, how far _are_ these Caves?” Viktor asked, the Russian shifting his pack uncomfortably on his shoulder as they walked. The three residents of this world and himself have been walking for what feels like hours, and Viktor’s feet are getting tired. It didn’t help that he was the oldest one in their group. God, to have the energy of a young person again. 

“They’re nestled up in the mountain range,” Yuuri explained, the doll adjusting his own pack as he pointed out the mountain range in the distance. “The Seer’s lived there for years. She kind of keeps to herself. No one’s seen her since the king arrived.” 

Yurio huffed, swishing his tail angrily. “Do we even know if the broad’s still alive?” he challenged, flattening his ears to his skull. “I do not want to run into her if she’s alive.” 

“Oh, Yurio, calm down.” Phichit said cheerfully, the tin toy skipping ahead, swinging his arms happily. “She’s the only one closest to my magic that can help us get remotely close to where we need to be in this journey. She’s our best hope now.” 

Yuuri nodded solemnly in response. “Which is why I expect both of you on your best behavior when we arrive.” the _danseur_ said firmly, turning his head to look at them. “It’s no secret that she has a clear...dislike for me, and a… fondness for the prince. So she's going to be difficult, and I don't need to make this any more difficult than it already is.”

Phichit nodded, crossing his arms behind his head. “Remember when she interrupted your performance for the prince's eighteenth birthday, just to declare her love for him and get him to reconsider your betrothal?”

Yuuri groaned. “And we weren't even officially engaged at that time! I had just turned fourteen myself a few weeks prior!”

Viktor frowned, unimpressed. “She sounds a little…eccentric.” he said slowly.

Yurio snorted. “That's the understatement of the year.” he grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Oi, Yuuri! How long do you think it will take us to get there?”

The doll thought for a moment. “Well, considering we're going to have to take breaks for you and Viktor, we should be there in two, three days on foot?”

“Why just us?” Viktor asked, then answered his own question as he remembered. “Ah. Right. Toys.”

“If it were just Yuuri and I, we'd probably get there tomorrow.” Phichit explained cheerfully. “We can't really get tired, so we don't need sleep!”

Yuuri sighed. “Though sleep would be nice again. I can't take being stuck in my thoughts 24/7.”

“I miss dreaming.” Phichit lamented. “Dreaming was nice.”

“I like disconnecting from life for even a moment.” the _danseur_ sighed, shaking his head.

Viktor was reminded yet again why he had agreed to help. These people were suffering enough. It'd be good to end it.

“We'll just have to have a huge slumber party for when you're all human again!” he exclaimed cheerfully, his heart shaped smile popping up on his face.

The trio looked up at him, staring at him in surprise. A smile slowly appeared on each face.

“I'm up for a party!” Phichit declared, excited. Yuuri chuckled in agreement while Yurio’s tail swished in barely disguised excitement. “We can all wear footie pjs and eat popcorn and dance the night away!” 

“Then fall to the floor like the dead and sleep!” Yuuri added, his laughter a little louder. 

“I call dibs on sleeping beside Beka,” Yuri said, smirking at the other two. 

Viktor laughed. “Then I want to sleep next to Yuuri!” he said excitedly, hugging the doll from behind. “He looks like he would be a fun and cuddly partner!” 

The trio went almost immediately silent. “...Um… Viktor?” Yuuri looked up at him awkwardly. “You, um… You do realize that I’m engaged, right?” 

Viktor turned bright red, letting go of the doll. “I-I’m sorry! It’s just - I-it just came out - I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable!” 

“I-it’s alright! I-I mean, it was an accident.” Yuuri assured him, looking down. “I don’t look like much a fiancé now, anyways, so I guess I can see where the mistake was.” He rubbed his arm self-consciously. “Not like I’d look good beside the prince, even as a human.” 

Viktor gaped in shock at the blatant self-deprecation. Oh, this will not do! “Yuuri!” he exclaimed, his tone scolding. He barely noticed Phichit and Yurio jump in surprise at his tone. The Russian put his hands on his hips, staring down at the startled rebel leader. “You should not be so terrible to yourself! You’re engaged to a prince. Your dancing is so beautiful I could have cried. Let’s not even forget how brave you are for taking care of everyone here in the stead of the prince, even if it is not what you were trained to do. Don’t ever sell yourself short, Yuuri. Understand?” 

Yuuri stared up at him, eyes wide behind his glasses. He was sure that if the doll was human, there’d be a rather adorable blush along his cheeks. The younger man nodded quickly, to show he understood, face still warped in shock and embarrassment. Viktor was curious about the intriguing, adorable expression, but figured he’d put Yuuri through enough embarrassment at the moment. 

The small band continued on their journey, stopping for breaks for the two humanoid peoples and for camp. Since the toys couldn’t sleep even if they tried, Yuuri and Phichit were put on watch, while Viktor and Yurio caught up on much needed rest from walking all day. 

At one of their resting spots, Viktor looked over at Yuuri. "So, your fiancé... He treated you well, right?" he asked, wanting to make sure. "He wasn't insensitive or anything?"

Yuuri blinked at Viktor, startled by the question. He shook his head. "Nn, no. He never treated me horribly. From what I remember, he used to downright spoil me," He chuckled as he leaned against a nearby tree. "He didn't like it when I talked bad about myself, either. In fact, when you were scolding me for my self-deprecating talk, I was reminded of him! You sounded very much like my prince."

It was Viktor's turn to blink, startled. "I didn't mean to. It just didn't feel it right, since you've been doing so many wonderful and incredible things for your people. I'm sorry if it was out of bounds, but I didn't like it." 

Yuuri smiled gently at Viktor, his brown eyes going soft. "Thank you. I guess I needed a good talking to like that." He giggled. "My fiancé had always felt it his job to, and I think I'm quoting him right, 'make me feel confident and beautiful.'" He laughed. "He's so silly, right?"

Viktor had to disagree with the doll. He wanted to make Yuuri feel confident and beautiful, too. 

That prince was a lucky man.

Viktor smiled gently at Yuuri. "I'd say he's a lucky man." he replied, sweeping his bangs out of his face. "At least he's seeing your worth. I would have been sorely disappointed in him if he couldn't see how wonderful you are." 

Yuuri made that embarrassed expression again, the one where an adorable blush should be there. The doll quickly coughed and pushed off the tree. "W-we should keep moving. The sooner we move, the sooner we reach the Caves." 

Viktor chuckled as the doll pressed on, his movements signaling the other two to follow. How could Yuuri not see how wonderful he truly was?

It strangely made Viktor wish he could be the one the doll only had eyes for.

The rest of the journey itself was, surprisingly, rather calm and boring, which wasn’t too surprising. The most action they had - other than from a short run-in with a lone nutcracker - was when Phichit goaded Yurio into challenging Yuuri in a dance contest. It really shouldn’t surprise anyone who won here, but Yurio was still pouting about it the rest of the night, keeping Viktor awake for a good couple of hours before the teen drifted off to sleep. 

They finally reached the base of the mountain after two and a half days of walking. Viktor, of course, returned to his world between this time, and would wake up here after returning from grueling practices at the ice rink. Needless to say, he was never more happy to see those mountains when they arrived. 

Until he learned they had to climb up the surface to reach the cave where the Seer lived. He promptly fainted from exhaustion after being told that. 

They set up camp at the base of the mountain, to give the non-toys rest, and the toys to gather their wits again. Just because they can’t sleep, doesn’t mean that they didn’t need to mental rest. 

Viktor leaned back against the rock he was propped up against, looking up at the stars. He relished the feeling of the fire crackling in the night, enjoying the warmth. He turned his face back down from the stars to look down at the others. “The Seer. Anything we should know about her, other than her obsession with the prince and distaste for Yuuri?” 

The others looked between each other, shrugging at one another. “Well, she adores _Danseurs_ Baranovskaya and Okukawa, so she’ll maybe listen if we give her Baranovskaya’s broach.” Yuuri reasoned, fiddling with his loose shoulder strap. “She’s a hoarder of the things of people she likes, so she’s got...a bit of everything from the _danseurs_ and the prince.” Yuuri shuddered. "I'm glad that she isn't so obsessed with me, but her feelings towards my relationship with the prince is a different story."

"Yeah! She once tried to get everyone to sign a petition to have her be engaged to the prince instead of Yuuri, even though _danseurs_ traditionally married the royalty to begin with." Phichit said, shaking his head. "She didn't even get a single signature, and she still tried to dissolve the engagement."

"What about the time she sent the prince a lock of her own hair?" the cat boy growled, crossing his arms. "That was creepy as hell."

Viktor couldn't help but remember some of his own die-hard fans from his skating career as they described the Seer. “She sounds terrifying.” Viktor noted, shuddering. “Sounds almost like a fangirl.” 

“Yeah. A fangirl who also threatens to murder the people who disagree with her.” Yurio snorted, tossing a twig into the fire. “She once sent Yuuri a thousand notes telling him to go die.” 

“Not to mention she tried gate crashing the engagement party to keep Yuuri and the prince from becoming officially engaged.” Phichit added. 

Yuuri whipped his head around. “What? I didn’t know that. Why didn’t anyone tell me?” he asked, shocked.

Phichit rolled his eyes. “You had more important things to do, like getting engaged. Besides, a whole lot of stuff went down that night, so that’s almost an after-afterthought to the evening, if you ask me.” 

Yuuri hummed after a while, turning back to the fire. The light of the flames reflected off the lens of his glasses, almost reaching to his eyes. 

Viktor turned his head to the side in curiosity, a finger to his lip. “Do you need those glasses, Yuuri?” he asked, tapping his finger as he talked. 

Yuuri blinked, turning his gaze up to him. “...No? Not really.” he admitted softly. 

Viktor hummed. “Then why do you wear them if they don’t help you see?” he questioned. 

Yuuri sighed. “I keep them on mostly to ensure that I’m not recognized by the king.” Yuuri stated, adjusting said frames. “He’s only ever seen me without them. He can only describe me so much to his servants, the nutcrackers. And if you haven’t noticed yet, they’re not the brightest creatures, either.” 

The Russian nodded. “And what about you two?” He turned his attention to Phichit and Yurio. “Surely the king would recognize you two?” 

Phichit laughed. “Only if he actually paid attention!” he exclaimed, laughing. “But we’re rambling here, aren’t we? Are you feeling nervous, Viktor?” 

Viktor jolted in surprise. Was he? “...Maybe I am a little.” he admitted. “All of this is still very bizarre, and… Well, no offense, but I’m a twenty-seven year old man. I shouldn't be having such fantastical dreams such as these.” 

Phichit raised an eyebrow. “You’re a Hopper, remember? You hop between worlds. This isn’t a dream.” he said, tone light. 

Viktor groaned, running a hand through his silver hair. “I know, you keep saying that, but that doesn’t mean that my mind’s accepted it yet.” he explained. 

Yurio frowned, swishing his tail. “Then just go with the flow, shitty old man.” he snapped, crossing his arms. “It’s not like we’re going anywhere anytime soon.”

Yuuri sighed. “Guys, guys. We’re all tired. Mentally and physically.” He turned to Viktor and Yurio. “Why don’t you two get some sleep? Phichit, I’ll take first watch, okay?” The doll got up to his feet, dusting his baby blue coveralls as he stood. “I’ll wake you all if anything happens, alright? Rest well.” He turned, then turned his head back around, probably a little further than a human usually should. “And that’s an order,” he huffed before turning back around. 

Phichit laughed. “You heard the man. Let’s get some rest.” the tin toy said, smiling at the other two. He turned his back to Yurio, pointing to the golden key attached to his back. The cat boy rolled his eyes and wound him up again for the night. The cat stretched his arms and yawned, then took his pack and made it into a comfortable pillow. 

Viktor also yawned, knowing that he won’t get any true sleep, as he will wake up in his world before waking up here again. He was beginning to wonder about if he’ll ever have a peaceful night’s sleep to himself ever again. 

He forced his pack into a more comfortable position before he laid his head down on top of it, closing his eyes. The last thing he remembered was Yurio asleep, Phichit looking meditative, and the silhouette of the _danseur_ that Viktor is, frighteningly, starting to fall in love with. 

Well, damn. 

❉ ❉ ❉ 

The entirety of the day had Viktor in an unnaturally worried state. While he was wide awake in his world, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Maybe he was just being paranoid? He did have competitions coming up. He was also running late to practice again, so he was sure he was going to be yelled at again by one Yakov Feltsman. 

Somehow, however, this feeling felt a lot more...life threatening. Deadly, even. Could it be from the other world? Were the others in danger? He didn’t know. 

What he did know was that if he didn’t land that quad salchow the way Yakov wanted, he was going to have to hightail it out of the rink if he wanted to live to see another day. 

He would have landed it perfectly, if a hauntingly familiar tune had not suddenly drifted through the air. He landed hard on his side on the ice, grunting as he got up. It was actually a pretty nasty fall, as it called attention to him from his other rink mates. 

“Viktor, what’s wrong?” Mila asked worriedly, skating up to him. 

“That was a nasty fall, do you need help?” Georgi asked, shock on his face. 

Even Yakov looked a little worried. “Have you not recovered yet?” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Go back home and get some rest. I don’t want to see you on the ice again until the day after tomorrow.” 

The day after tomorrow. Viktor could live with that. Especially since he has been going on nightly adventures for the past few days. “Alright, as you wish.” Viktor said, brushing the ice off of his clothes. 

God, he could not get home fast enough. The melody continuously flowed through the air, calling to him. It was really unusual, but it also felt like a strange cry for help. He knocked into the shoulder of a young man as he ran, not bothering to stop an apologize. He had no time. He could tell.

Viktor made it home soon after, then flopped on the couch. He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. “Come on. Sleep, sleep.” He flopped around too much, trying to get comfortable. 

He tried the bed next. Sleep was hard to get there, too. 

He tried drinking tea to relax his body. Then a hot shower. Then some calming music. 

Nothing. Shit. 

Viktor grabbed at his hair. “What can I do to fall asleep?!” he exclaimed, hands clutching his hair as the melody continued to ring in his ears. He shot up in thought. “Wait a minute.” 

He quickly left the room, heading towards his bookcase in the living room. After he skimmed through all the titles, he grabbed one that he hadn't opened in ages. He returned to his room with a textbook. He had it since college, and had barely opened the thing, since it always put him to sleep. Maybe this will do the trick. 

He opened the book and barely read the first sentence when, sure enough, he was sent to sleep. 

❉ ❉ ❉

Viktor woke up blearily in Yutopia, only to not recognize his surroundings. It was night here still, he could tell. But they weren’t outside. He tried focusing his eyes on his surroundings when he heard a familiar voice.

“Viktor!” The Russian whipped his head around to Phichit, who was kneeling next to him. “Thank God you’re awake! We’ve got a problem!”

“Problem? What do you mean a pro-?” Viktor’s eyes widened as his eyes finally adjusted to their surroundings in the dim light. 

They were in a cave structure, stalagmites and stalactites forming like teeth in a monster’s mouth. The stone floor was cold and damp, the air just as cold. Water dripped tirelessly, echoing through the cave. Most disturbing of all were the numerous spider webs spun everywhere in sight. 

Huge, giant, monstrous spider webs. Like could hold a human and then some spider webs. 

Viktor wasn’t normally afraid of spiders, but this might be an exception. 

“What happened? Where are we?” Viktor asked the tin toy as he scanned the area for the other two. 

“We were ambushed.” Phichit explained, hands tightening in his lap. “We’re in the caves. Yurio hasn’t woken up yet.”

Viktor felt his blood run cold. “Where’s Yuuri?” he asked. 

Phichit shakily lifted a finger, pointing up towards the ceiling. Viktor’s eyes followed the finger, his own aqua eyes widening in horror. 

Up there, cocooned in a massive amount of webbing, was Yuuri. The poor doll was hanging upside down, which Viktor was sure was an unpleasant experience. The doll looked strangely calm as he stared into the darkness. 

Viktor swallowed. “How do we get him down?” he asked, never taking his eyes off of him. 

Before Phichit could answer, there was a scuttling sound. Shivers went down both their spines.

Crawling from out of the shadows, a massive spider entered the cavern. It was larger than any of the toys back at camp, with fuzzy legs and a fuzzier body. It’s face only had four eyes instead of the eight, and all glowed bright white. It had a mouth filled with teeth, spittle draining from the fangs. 

The monstrous being crawled up to where Yuuri hung from the ceiling, opening its massive maw towards his face. Viktor had to commend the doll for staring back at the beast, even if he was shaking slightly enough to vibrate the cocoon he wrapped up in. 

As if things couldn’t get any weirder, or creepier, the spider opened its mouth again, and spoke. 

“What’s the whore _danseur_ doing in my caves?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliff hanger! XD XD XD
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed this and maybe got a little more insight into the others? But the action will pick up now since there are big bugs involved. *shudders* Hopefully no one has arachnophobia!
> 
> Please leave a comment! It encourages me.


	8. Didn't See That Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The travelers finally meet up with ~~the prince's biggest fan~~ the Seer. And things get a little...hairy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! So the writing for this chapter actually came almost as soon as I uploaded the last one, which was great, considering it helped me get in the zone! Hope you're not afraid of spiders! *runs away*

Viktor’s eyes bugged out - pun unintended - at the sight of the hairy, creepy crawly creature leering at Yuuri in distaste, its dissatisfaction evident in its movements. 

Yuuri, however, seemed to be able to play cool as a cucumber well. “I see that the king’s spell did it’s work on you, too.” he remarked, looking her up and down -er, down and up. “We were worried that we wouldn’t recognize you.” 

“And why-” the spider spat, spittle flying into the doll’s face - “would you be so worried about _that_ , you cheeky little bastard?” 

Yuuri blinked at her. “Well, Madame Seer, we’re on a journey to restore the world.” he explained. “To find the Heart. And we require your great powers to help aid us in our quest.” 

Damn, how was Yuuri _not_ shaking in his boots right now? Viktor was certain that he himself wouldn’t be able to talk so eloquently in the face of that beast, and he’s the master of faking it. 

All the more reason to admire this toy’s loyalty to his cause. 

The spider, or rather the Seer, hissed, then pointed a hairy leg towards Viktor and the others. “What about your valet? Does he not have the power to see as well as I?” 

Phichit gripped the bars of their little prison, ignoring the webbing sticking to his fingers. “Believe it or not, I cannot see at all, as the king’s magic has muddled up my own, just as well as it has muddled everyone’s memories of the prince and changed our appearances.” 

She hissed at the mention of the prince, turning her glowing eyes back at the doll trapped in her web. “The prince. You must know where he is! Tell me where he is, whore!” she demanded, prodding a hairy leg into Yuuri’s body. Viktor watched Yuuri’s face contort in discomfort, but nothing more. 

The doll leveled his eyes with the spider bravely, refusing to let go of eye contact. “We’re looking for the Heart. We believe that if we can find the Heart, we can reject the king and bring back the prince, making everything right again.” Yuuri’s eyes softened. “Wouldn’t you want to be human again?” he asked softly, imploringly. 

She hissed again, smacking her front leg into his body, swinging him back and forth. “I don’t want your pity, you thief! What I’d love is to drain your bones of your marrow, but you obviously haven’t got them now!” She stilled his body with her foreleg, eyes glinting. “I’ll just have to settle with breaking this measly body to oblivion.” 

She raised a leg, causing Yuuri to gasp in fear. “I’ve brought a gift from _Danseur_ Baranovskaya!” he shouted, his fear finally lacing his voice. 

Everyone held a collective breath as the spider ceased her movements. Her eyes bored into Yuuri greedily, licking her lips. “ _Danseur_ Baranovskaya, you say?” she purred, stepping closer to the doll. “Well, why didn’t you say so?” Her scratchy, hissy voice oozed with overt sweetness as she cooed over the mention of a present from her favorite _danseur_. 

Yuuri nodded. “I was going to, but we got a little...side-tracked.” He wriggled in his bonds a little. “It’s in my pocket, but I cannot reach. Would you mind…?” Before Yuuri finished his sentence, a leg lashed out, slicing the webbing open. Viktor felt his throat catch as Yuuri fell to the ground, hitting the floor with a sickening thud. He thought he heard the sound of something tinkling, like a bell, but he wasn’t sure. 

He watched with bated breath as Yuuri slowly rose up to his knees, his body shaking slightly from the fall. He watched as he moved each limb and digit carefully before rising to his feet. 

The rebel leader dusted the cobwebs off his person, straightening out his appearance. “That’s more like it.” 

“Who cares? What is it that _Danseur_ Baranovskaya is giving me?” the Seer hissed, towering over Yuuri, her massive body dwarfing the doll. 

Yuuri shook his head. “I want you to first release my companions. We are carrying no weapons, as I’m sure you know, so we shouldn’t be any threat to you.” 

The spider hissed, then lashed out her leg, breaking the cobweb bars. Phichit hurried through while Viktor helped a stirring Yurio up to his feet, quickly getting them out of the cell. The Seer glared down at the doll again, her legs twitching. 

 

“The item! Give it to me!” she demanded, stamping one hairy foot on the ground. “I want it now!” Viktor fought the urge to shake at the sight. He was really going to hate spiders after all this. 

Yuuri nodded, reaching into his pocket. “Of course, of course. Here,” He held out the broach, which was tied neatly into a handkerchief for safe keeping while they had traveled. 

The Seer reached a greedy leg towards the broach, only for Yuuri to pull it away. “But you must tell us where the Heart is!” he commanded, his dark eyes glowing in seriousness. 

The spider nodded impatiently. “Yes, yes, agreed. Now give it to me!” Yuuri dropped the broach into her waiting foot, staring up at her intently. 

She practically swooned, holding the broach in the dim light with her two front legs, admiring her prize. “ _Danseur_ Lilia Baranovskaya’s broach! It’s...it’s… beautiful!” she declared, spinning around on the floor, her many legs scuttling disturbingly as she twirled around with it. The sound of the skittering along sent chills down everyone’s spine. 

She hissed gleefully, admiring the jewelry reverently. “It’s mine! Mine! All mine!” she cackled gleefully, scurrying over to a hole in the wall of the cave, presumably to stow it away. 

Yuuri hardened his gaze after her. “Now tell us: where’s the Heart?” 

The Seer turned to the group, her hairy face and over-sized maw giving them an unpleasant look. “It’s gone.” 

Yuuri sputtered while the others gasped. “G-gone? It can’t be gone!” Yuuri exclaimed, shock removing any of the cool attitude he had while under her wrappings. “We’d all be dead if it were gone!” 

“Well, I can’t exactly sense it, now can I?” she hissed, towering over the group, her hulking body blotting out most of the ceiling. “I can search for it, but if I can’t feel it, I can’t search for it.” She held up two legs as if to shrug, her toothy mouth becoming smug. “There’s nothing I can do about it.” 

“Then how can we find it?!” Yuuri demanded, his voice raising an octave higher than normal. “We’re all stuck like this if we don’t, and the world is dying!” 

She shrugged again. “Not my problem.” 

“ _Not your problem?!_ ” It was Yurio who snapped. The cat boy came stomping over, having recovered from what happened. He jabbed a finger towards her. “You live here, too, you bitch! You can’t tell me that you’re going to be selfish enough to not help just because _Yuuri’s_ far better than you’ll ever-” 

“YURIO, LOOK OUT!!” Yuuri pushed Yurio out of the way, taking the hit from the Seer’s leg. The doll hit the wall with a resounding crash, the tinkling sound ringing loudly again. 

Viktor’s eyes widened in surprise. Was that sound coming from Yuuri? 

The Seer seemed to have noticed it, too. She stalked over to the limp doll’s body, dragging a leg down the front of his outfit. “What’s this?” She leaned down, her eyes glowing a faint red. “I sense the prince’s magic in this thing.” 

Yuuri blinked shakily, his head rising blearily in the air. He gasped as the spider’s leg slashed down, slicing the front of his clothes to his abdomen. 

There, in the middle of Yuuri’s chest, as a glowing, crystal blue heart. Viktor thought he saw something else inside it, but he couldn’t make it out in the distance. 

Yuuri pulled his tattered clothes together, bunching it around his chest in an attempt at modesty. The Seer glared down at him. “What is that?” she hissed. 

Yuuri gulped, his brown eyes now wide with fear. “M-my heart.” he explained, pulling the clothing a little closer together. “S-see, when I was turned into a doll, my father-” 

“I’m not talking about that!” she spat impatiently. She jabbed her leg into the center of his chest, where his heart was. “I’m talking about that! That thing! In the middle! What is it?!” 

The doll shook, trying to crawl backwards, to give himself space. “That? That’s my engagement ring, a gift from the prin-” 

“THE PRINCE!!” she shrieked, rearing back. Yuuri gasped and jumped out of the way quickly as her forelegs came crashing down to the spot he once was. She spun around as the doll began running away. “GIVE ME THAT RING!! I WANT THAT RING!!”

“RUN FOR IT!!” Yuuri screamed, urging them to run only by the sound of his voice. 

They ran, everyone's eyes wide while the Seer skittered after them, her scratchy voice hissing and howling after them. Viktor glanced back behind him, where Yuuri was tailing behind, hands still clutched to the front of his clothes. Even now, though the doll was more in danger than any of them, he was putting the others before him. He was truly a selfless person. 

Yuuri's foot found a protruding stone, and he tripped over it with a yelp. He rolled on the floor, and out popped the heart from his chest. Viktor more heard it than saw it happen, but he stopped as he heard the skittering of glass on rocky ground. The Russian turned around, stilled, eyes wide as Yuuri laid motionless on the ground, while the glass heart was lying a few feet away from him. 

It was like he was a real doll. 

Phichit and Yurio stopped with him, eyes wide with alarm. "We've got to get his heart!" Phichit cried, turning on the balls of his feet back towards their fallen comrade. 

Before the Russian could run to help, fast, hairy legs snatched the heart up, the Seer hoisting it up into the air. She licked her lips, her large mouth drooling as she stared at the supposed ring in the middle of the heart. "An engagement ring, from the prince!" she cooed, her rough voice echoing loudly in the cave. she spun around on her legs again, giggling with sick pleasure. "Oh, my goodness, I'm engaged to the prince now with this! Oh, lucky me!" No one seemed to notice that as she was holding the heart, the still figure at her feet slowly rose to their feet. 

Viktor's eyes widened in shock. "Y-Yuuri? Are you alright?" 

Yuuri stared ahead of him, his shining brown eyes dark. He looked so out of it, he wasn't even bothering to try to cover up, his ripped clothing barely hanging on to his shoulders. He looked like a zombie with how he moved. 

The Seer looked down at the doll, her eyes narrowing at the sight. Her hideous face broke into a wide, sick grin. "Ooooh. What an interesting turn of events!" she cooed, exchanging her gaze between the doll and his heart, and back again. Her fangs gleamed as she turned to Viktor and the others. "Whore. Kill them." 

Before Viktor could register what she just said, the doll suddenly zipped towards them, fingers outstretched. The skater gasped as he felt a hand pull him back, just in time to be missed by Yuuri's fingers. Phichit's dark gray eyes were wide. "She's controlling him! We've got to get his heart back, or we're dead!" 

Yurio hissed, his fur standing on end. "You two distract him. I'll get the heart!" he insisted, barreling towards the giant spider. 

Viktor jumped as he was pushed aside, barely missed by another attack by Yuuri again. "You heard the cat! Distract him!" Phichit yelled. "And don't get killed!" 

The tin toy and Viktor danced circles around Yuuri, dodging his movements with ease. It seemed that the Seer wasn't paying too much mind to what she was doing, or how she was going about trying to kill them. Her control on him was rather sloppy, so in turn, it seemed Yuuri moved sloppily as well. Thank God for her being an idiot in this case. 

Yurio climbed up the wall, using his elongated nails to climb up high enough to where he could jump at the Seer's legs if he aimed right. He tensed his muscles, concentrating the energy into his legs, before he pushed off, pouncing towards the spider. 

Meanwhile, the Seer seemed to think it a clever idea that have the doll start throwing boulders at the other two, much to the others' chagrin. The two did their darnedest to keep Yuuri at bay, avoiding the rocks and stones flying their way, avoiding each other in the process. However, Viktor and Phichit had found themselves unintentionally backed into a corner together, staring at Yuuri as the doll raised a small boulder over his head. The doll's eyes were still a dull, lifeless brown as he approached them. 

The Seer was cackling gleefully as she watched. "Bye, bye!" she cooed in a sickening tone, her voice turning into a shriek of anger almost immediately as Yurio pounced, snatching the heart in her claws, taking Yuuri out of her control. 

Yuuri blinked, staring at the two of them, his eyes a little less dull than they were before. "Viktor? Phichit?" he managed to say, confusion in his voice. "What's happening?" He looked up at the boulder that's over his head. His eyes widened. "What was I about to do?!" 

"Yuuri! Chuck that fucking boulder at that fucking spider and let's get the fuck out of here!" Yurio commanded, the doll's heart tucked close to his chest. Yuuri turned obediently, throwing the boulder as hard as he could at the Seer. 

She shrieked again, knocking the boulder out of her way, though her leg that she used to block the blow looked a little crooked now. "Give me back my ring, you flea bag!" she snarled, skittering after them. 

"Move your asses!!" Yurio snarled at his companions, urging them all after him. They ran, relying on Yurio's animal instincts to get them out. The cat boy looked up, his eyes meeting up to a large boulder. "Yuuri! Think you can move that thing?" he called, looking back at him. 

The dull-eyed doll looked up, then nodded, following Yurio's command blindly. Yuuri ran up the rocky path, diverting away from the others, up to the large boulder above. Viktor held his breath as he watched the doll begin to push the rock closer to the edge, into position. 

He picked up the pace, bringing himself almost up to Phichit when Yurio shouted, "NOW!!" 

Yuuri pushed the boulder, sending a cascade of stone down below. He slid down the other side, avoiding stones the best he could. Viktor didn't dare look back as he heard the Seer cry out in anger, the walls of the cave shaking as the rock avalanche blocked her path. 

The rebel doll caught up with the others, dull eyes fixed ahead, the near lack of light in them dull and somewhat mortifying to Viktor. The skater didn't stop running, though, until the entire group got outside the cave, into the safety of the woods. And even then, they all kept running until the two "humans" could run no more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was that okay? This came a lot more easily to me than the past couple of chapters have, and hopefully that stretch is behind me. 
> 
> Please leave a comment! It helps! (It encourages me and fuels my imagination.)


	9. A Bell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their disastrous meeting with the Seer, Viktor struggles with some feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who also read my Twin Lilies series, you already know the reason to my lateness. 
> 
> To those of you who don't and follow only this or my newest Half Breed, I have been incredibly distracted from between training for my new second job and for finally getting approval for an apartment. So needless to say, I've been pretty busy this past week and a half(?). 
> 
> I apologize for the wait, and hopefully you stick around. Thank you for your continued support and enjoy!

“What the hell was that?!” Yurio gasped as soon as he recovered his breath. He gestured his hand towards the Caves, his face the picture of bewilderment and pissed off. “What the hell happened there, Yuuri?! What does she mean that the Heart’s not here?!” 

Yuuri was panting slightly, which seemed unusual to Viktor, looking fatigued. The doll looked tiredly up at the cat boy. “I’d...love to answer your questions, Yurio. But first… Can...can I have my heart back, please? I don’t like… Ugh… I don’t like not having control over my own body…” He looked to Yurio’s hands, where his crystal glass heart sat in between his palms. 

Viktor’s eyes were also drawn to the heart. It was breathtakingly beautiful, looking as crafted and as polished as a gemstone fit for a king. It’s faint, light blue color reflected the light nicely, almost enough to hide the barely there golden band that was suspended in the middle of it.

Yurio looked down at the heart, then nodded, walking over to his leader. The doll took it gratefully, and Viktor could already see light coming to his eyes as his fingers caressed the glass. He watched as he gently, tenderly inserted the glass heart into his hollow chest, sighing in immense relief and maybe some pleasure as it nestled into the cavity of his chest, like it had belonged there all this time. 

Yuuri sighed again, rubbing his chest with a small, relieved smile. His eyes were back to their usual chocolate brightness, the doll operating at one hundred percent. He ran his fingers through his hair, sitting down on a large rock, leaning forward on his knees. 

“You remember how the king turned me into this, to control me?” he asked, gesturing his entire body. 

Yurio frowned, but nodded. Viktor didn’t like where this was going. 

“Well, my father, when he was able to make my heart, he used the prince’s ring, with his feelings and mine, to give me a heart, so I could be in control of my own self.” He looked up at the others, a wry smile on his face. “As you’ve witnessed, if my heart’s in someone else’s possession, I have no control.” He hung his head, the smile disappearing from his face. “I’m just grateful that I haven’t harmed you all.” he murmured softly. 

Yurio clicked his tongue in annoyance, tapping his foot. “That still doesn’t explain why she’d say that the Heart’s not here. What the hell does that mean?!” 

Yuuri frowned, lifting his head back up in thought. “I don’t now. That’s impossible, though. It should be here.” He ran his hands through his hair again. “We’d all be dead by now if it wasn’t here.” 

Viktor looked around the group, all of them looking exhausted, be it physically or mentally. He sighed. “It doesn’t matter now. At the moment, we should find a better place to camp. We were ambushed too easily by the Seer when we were at the foot of the mountain. I say we move as far away as possible and to safety.” 

Phichit nodded in agreement with the skater. “The Hopper’s right. Let’s get a move on for a safer place to camp!” 

Viktor turned, Phichit by his side. Yurio grumbled darkly, following after them in a cloudy mood. Yuuri, however, was extremely quiet, even for him. Viktor looked back at him, finding the younger man deep in thought as they traversed the forest. It worried him, how his brow furrowed in thought. He wished he could do something to help, but he felt that unlikely.

They set up camp a few hours’ walk away from the Caves, giving the area a wide berth. Viktor helped set up camp for the denizens of the group, finding their silence unsettling. He tried to think over what all had transpired, to give him an idea of what they knew.

The Heart was not here, but was here. There was no way to know where they needed to go next. They nearly died and had no information to go off of.

They were literally back to square one.

Yuuri groaned, running his hand through his hair. “ _Danseur_ Baranovskaya is going to kill me. That was her favorite brooch.” 

Silence. 

Then a snicker from Phichit. A snort from Yurio. 

Yuuri turned at them, his face twisted in horror. If he were human, he’d be red in the face. “She will! Quit laughing at my impending doom!” 

Phichit busted out laughing, holding his tin sides. “Oh, god, impending doom! From a doll that could barely move!” he bawled, rolling over and off his rock seat to the ground. 

Yurio was snickering as well. “Well, we couldn’t help it. We were all tangled up!”

Yuuri looked even more embarrassed and furious. “I’m serious! Do you not know how terrifying that woman is?! I’ll never be free of her wrath until the day I die!” 

Viktor couldn’t help joining in on the laughter, though he tried to be polite about it and cover his mouth. 

“Well, we’ll enjoy our freedom while you waste away under _danseur_ Baranovskaya’s hand.” Yurio said with a toothy grin. 

Yuuri groaned, flopping his head into his lap. “You guys are the worst! What is it, pick on Yuuri day?” 

Phichit grinned wickedly, wiggling an eyebrow at Yuuri. “Oh, Yuuri, you tease!” he snickered, sitting up off the ground. 

Yuuri lifted his head, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” he asked, confused. Viktor noticed the planes of Yuuri's chest, smooth and pale, save for the blue glass heart centered in the middle of his chest. It made him look like Superman changed his symbol from an "S" to a heart, and had it implanted into his chest.

Phichit pointed at Yuuri’s bare chest and tattered clothing. “Showing off that much skin? To three bachelors? Yuuri, I thought you were an engaged man!” he teased. He whistled. “But, hey, your prince is lucky. Damn, what a bod!” 

Yuuri covered his face again in embarrassment. “Oh, my God, shut up!” he exclaimed, trying to cover up his exposed chest. “It was all that stupid Seer’s fault!” He held the torn front with one hand. “I mean, I marched all the way over to the Caves to find the Heart, not perform a strip tease!” He pouted at the fabric, mourning with the loss. “And I actually kinda liked these coveralls…” 

Viktor chuckled again, getting up to his feet. He took off the coat he was wearing (he had fallen asleep in his regular clothes so that he could be warm during the travels in this realm) and put it around Yuuri’s shoulders, to provide him with a bit of modesty. (Though he wasn’t going to disagree with Phichit; Yuuri’s body was beautiful to look at.) 

The Russian smiled at the group. “I guess since we’re all in higher spirits now, what should we do?” he asked. He held up a hand. “I don’t mean to bring the mood down, but if the Heart’s not here…” 

“The Heart has to be here.” Phichit insisted. “We’d be dead if it wasn’t.” 

“Oi. Didn’t that hag say that she sensed the prince’s magic? What’s all that about?” Yurio asked, frowning over at Yuuri. 

Yuuri shrugged. “Well, I’m guessing it’s because of the prince’s engagement present to me.” Yuuri mused, buttoning up the coat Viktor threw on his shoulders. Viktor blushed faintly at the sight of the doll wearing his clothes. Damn, that was kinda hot.

He put a jointed hand over his chest, where his glass heart rested. “The ring I was gifted from the prince serves as the main source of my life in my heart.” he explained. “Without the magic from that, I probably wouldn’t be in control of my body, or even alive.” He smiled faintly down at his chest. “I remember what he said when he gave it to me: ‘I want to give you the whole world.’” He sighed blissfully, his gaze soft and tender. “What a foolish romantic he was.” 

Yurio gagged in response. “That sounds just like him: sappy and disgusting.” 

Phichit beamed. “Must be nice to be in love!” the dark-skinned boy mused cheerfully, sighing dreamily.

Viktor remained silent, the words ringing in his ears, like a faint, familiar bell. Not that he should remember something like that. It was just… Why was it so nostalgic? 

Phichit stretched his arms, the sound of the tin joints clinking together. “Well, you two should get some sleep.” the tin toy said. He turned to Yuuri. “And you should try fixing your clothes somehow. As sexy as you look right now, it’s not very practical to be bearing your chest to the world.” 

Yurio and Viktor nodded in response to sleep, while Yuuri scowled at Phichit, rolling his eyes. 

And so, the two non-toys went to rest, while one toy stood watch and the other went off to fix his clothes. 

Well, it would be fair to say that only one non-toy was able to rest tonight. 

❉ ❉ ❉ 

Viktor stared up at the night sky, his thoughts filled with uncertainty. Just what good was he here for? He hardly did anything when they were captured by the Seer. He couldn’t save Yuuri from being under the giant spider’s control, nor was he the one who was able to rescue them from her grasp - or web, whatever it is that spiders have, since they don’t have hands. 

He might as well be considered useless. 

He sighed heavily, sitting up. There was no point in trying to sleep if he can’t truly sleep. It wasn’t like he was able to do that nowadays at this point. 

The Russian man looked around the camp, turning to spy Phichit on his perch for lookout. Yuuri was nowhere in sight yet. He was probably still repairing his clothing from the Seer's assault. His mind brought up the image of Yuuri's bare chest, and his gleaming crystal heart. 

The man couldn’t help the blush that worked it’s way onto his cheeks again. He felt that he was beginning to develop some...feelings for the brave little toy. How could he not? Yuuri was kind, brave, selfless… He was everything a prince and a leader should be, and was trying so hard to do all he can to help his people in the stead of his beloved. 

The prince, who was probably about as helpful as Viktor was at this point in time. 

Thinking about the prince made Viktor frown in disapproval. Where was the prince now? Why wasn’t he here to help Yuuri fix everything wrong with this world? Why wasn’t he here to support Yuuri? Was the man unaware of what a strong, wonderful fiancé he had, and how lucky he was to have such a person as his? 

Okay, so Viktor was being a little petty. And perhaps a little envious. Who wouldn’t want to be with Yuuri? He could easily see why the king would want him. He could see why he himself would want him. 

So why was the prince not here? 

The silver-haired man sighed, running his hand through his hair. No. This wasn’t good. He can’t be jealous of another man’s fiancé. As much as he liked Yuuri, the doll was loyal to his prince. Viktor didn’t stand a chance. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” 

Viktor looked up, surprised to see the object of his affections in front of him. 

Yuuri’s clothes were fixed, the fabric sewed together with an unpracticed hand. He chuckled in amusement. How could Yuuri be so cute? 

“Not really, no.” he admitted, slipping his hand down to his knee. “It’s hard to really get some sleep when I’d only wake up in my realm moments later.” 

Yuuri nodded in understanding, sitting down next to him. “I’m sorry. That must be weird.”

Viktor raised an amused eyebrow at him. “Says the talking doll.” he teased cheekily. 

Yuuri rolled his eyes. “You’re the weird one. You’re the only human here.” he retorted, sticking his tongue out at him. 

Viktor put a hand over his heart. “Yuuri, you wound me!” he exclaimed, feigning pain. “Why must you be so cruel?” 

Yuuri smirked. “Because you’re acting so dramatic, and it’s fun to tease you.” Viktor gasped loudly in response, which caused Yuuri to giggle in amusement. The doll removed Viktor’s jacket from around his shoulders. “Here. It must be cold.” 

Viktor smiled, taking the garment back. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m Russian! I was born in the cold.” he joked, though he did slip his jacket back on. It was only mildly unsettling that there was no warmth when he put it on.

Yuuri shrugged. “Well, I can’t feel the temperatures as much as I did as a human, so it’s hard for me to tell.” He sighed. “Thank you for lending me your coat, though. You didn’t have to.” 

Viktor smiled at him, quirking an amused eyebrow. “Well, someone had to protect your modesty. You have such a captivating body! Why wear something so clumsy and unflattering on you?” 

Yuuri deadpanned, staring at him over his glasses. “Uh… A little thing called incognito? You know, from the king? The guy that turned me into a doll and tried to get me to marry him and stuff?” 

“You could at least wear something not that color. It’s a terrible color on you.” Viktor said, frowning. “Maybe a purple or dark blue or something.” 

Yuuri sighed, shaking his head. “Says the man running around in some expensive looking shoes.” he noted dryly, raising an eyebrow. “I swear, I get enough critique about my fashion choices from Phichit and my fiancé, thank you. I don’t want to hear it from another person.” 

Viktor chuckled. “ Sorry, sorry.” he replied, lifting his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop.” 

“Good.” Silence invades the space between them for a moment, and Viktor enjoyed it. He didn’t even think he would enjoy it as much as he did, but he obviously did. Yuuri was just...he was such a wonderful person to be around. 

Viktor couldn’t help another stab of jealousy towards Yuuri’s royal fiancé again. 

The Russian man cleared his throat awkwardly. “So, um, Yuuri.” He twiddled his thumbs nervously, biting his lip. “How strong are your, um, feelings towards the prince?” he asked nervously. “I-I mean, if, say, someone were to express an interest in you. What would you do?” 

Yuuri stared at Viktor briefly, then chuckled softly. “I’d say they’re crazy.” he said, looking down at his feet. “I can hardly see why he, the prince of all people, would want to marry me to begin with.” He looked back up at Viktor, a sad smile on his face. “I’m not anyone special. I’m not strong like Nishigori, nor fast like Yurio. I’m not brave. I can barely hold myself together, let alone everyone else.” He pulled his knees up to his chin, his gaze returning to the ground. “I don’t see why he’d want to marry me.” 

Viktor frowned at Yuuri, disagreeing with every word he said. “You’re wrong.” He smiled at Yuuri. “You’re incredibly brave, and an amazing leader. You are one of the most beautiful people I've ever met." he smiled gently at the toy, wanting to touch him. He gently lifted a hand to Yuuri's cheek, watching as the doll's eyes grew wide in shock. " _Anyone_ would be lucky to have you, _danseur_ Katsuki Yuuri." 

Yuuri stared up at him in disbelief, eyes wide as he stared up at Viktor. Viktor felt the overwhelming urge to kiss Yuuri. He would have leaned forward to do so, had the doll not leaned away. The doll got to his feet immediately, putting some distance between them. "I-I think I should go relieve Phichit again." he said quickly, wrapping his arms around himself, looking anywhere but at Viktor. "It's been a couple hours already, and he's bound to be getting bored." 

The _danseur_ turned to him and gave him a curt bow. "Try and get some sleep if you can, Viktor. We've got a lot to do." he warned, turning and walking away from him quickly. "Good night." 

Viktor stared at the retreating form, feeling his heart sink. He knew that was going to happen. He knew Yuuri was going to be loyal to the man he was betrothed to no matter what. 

So why did it hurt to be rejected like that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to focus more on Viktor's budding feelings in this chapter (I say, even though it's like, the last half to last third of the chapter), but I felt that that was important. I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Also, can anyone guess what my secret inspiration was for Yuuri's character? Remember, a lot of the characters and story are inspired either from kids movies and stories. Whoever can figure it out, wins... I don't know, something? Maybe the Internet. The Internet sounds good. (Or we could negotiate on the prize.) XD 
> 
> (Hint: It's from a reaaaaally old cartoon movie.) 
> 
> Happy hunting! And if you have an answer, please leave a comment below! 
> 
> I can already tell you now, it's not the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz, even though the story feels a lot like it. It was purely unintentional. XD Neither is it the Nutcracker from The Nutcracker.


	10. Let's Take a Breather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What better way to avoid certain punishment than to procrastinate returning back, right? Right? Well, that's what Phichit suggests, anyway. 
> 
> Regrettably, procrastination can only take you so far. 
> 
> Viktor spins a small yarn about St. Petersburg and gets jealous of Yuuri's fiancé. Also, we find that the boys may need to hurry things up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAH THIS SO LATE AND LAME!!! DX I don't want to get to the drama parts yet, but I gotta fill in stuff somehow or this will be too short. I'm so sorry if this is so much excess fat and whatnot, but I want to stretch just enough and fill in with the 'falling in love' before I get to the juicy, holy crap stuff. FORGIVE ME!!!

The feelings that Viktor had no meaning to were still quelling in his chest as continued their reluctant trek back. They were going a much slower pace, since the toys and cat boy seemed hesitant to deliver the bad news. 

While the trio ahead of him were discussing how to break the news to the other dolls, Viktor found himself getting lost in watching Yuuri, his eyes fixated on his back. He couldn’t help but admire the strength and courage that the doll had, all throughout this entire mess. If Yuuri was speaking truthfully of how he was feeling mentally, the rebel leader was doing a fine job keeping himself together for everyone's sake. He only wished that he could be a shoulder for the young doll to lean on for support. 

But another person had already claimed that spot in Yuuri's heart. 

The Russian stared up at the sky as they continued trudging back, his mind blanking out. He felt like he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep in days, and the constant back and forth between dimensions were taking their toll on him.

Just one night. One. That's all he wanted. One night's peace for actual sleep.

He was so preoccupied with thoughts of sleep that he didn't hear his name being called.

“Oi, Viktor!” Yurio yelled into his ear angrily.

Viktor jumped a good few feet into the air, startled out of his reverie. “Ouch! Yurio, that hurts!” he whined, rubbing at his offended ear.

“Well if you weren't spacing out like an idiot,” the cat boy snarled, “you'd have two working ears now!”

Viktor frowned, unamused. “I'm sorry, was someone saying something?” he asked, turning to Yuuri and Phichit, pleasant smile on his face while the cat boy seethed in angsty rage.

Phichit smiled, much more amused than the human. “We were saying that we’re going to stop for lunch for you two.” the tin toy said, chuckling under his breath. “Yuuri and I are planning on figuring out what we’re gonna tell _danseur_ Baranovskaya when she finds out what happened.” 

Viktor blinked. “Oh. Okay, then. Yurio, can you show me how to find those delightful berries you introduced me to again? They were delicious!” 

The two humans busied themselves with lunch, while the toys sat together, going over the worst case scenarios. Yuuri groaned in defeat, which sparked laughter from his tin friend. 

Yurio stared hard at Viktor, his green eyes narrowed into slits. “...Oi. Just who are you?” he asked gruffly.

Viktor frowned in confusion. “Excuse me? That’s kind of a rude question to ask after so long, isn’t it?” he asked, frowning slightly

The cat boy frowned in response. “You just...give me this weird vibe.” he replied, tail swishing. “Like I know you or some stupid shit like that.”

The Russian man blinked, his confusion growing. “Well, we have known each other for a few days.” he mused, pointing to himself.

“That’s not what I mean, dumbass!” he hissed, fur fluffing up. “Just forget it! Shitty old fart!” He jumped up to his feet, stalking off. “I’m gonna find something to throw rocks at!” 

Yuuri and Phichit looked up from their conversation, confusion on both their faces. “What happened there?” Yuuri asked, the doll’s inquisitive eyes roving over to where Yurio was. 

Viktor shrugged, popping the bread that was part of his lunch into his mouth. “No clue, really. I annoyed him, I suppose.” 

The rebel leader sighed. “Well, I guess we don’t have much of a choice but to wait until he comes back… Which could be at least an hour for all we know.” 

Phichit grinned. “That’d be good! We all need to be able to relax a little, what with all the hurry over to the Caves and this death march back to camp!” He looked between Yuuri and Viktor. “Like, seriously, who wants to hurry to tell danseur Lilia Baranovskaya we failed and lost her broach like a kid loses their lunch money?” 

If Yuuri could pale, Viktor was sure he would have. The doll visibly gulped, looking nervous. “I mean, I suppose that’s not unsound reasoning…” 

Phichit’s grin grew sunnier. Viktor had to wonder how someone who became a toy and essentially lost all control of his powers could be so cheerful. “Yay! Break time!” he cheered enthusiastically, the tin toy’s arm waving excitedly around. "Maybe this might get somewhere interesting!" 

❉ ❉ ❉

Thirty minutes of… well, nothing, passed. The adults sat there idly, twiddling their thumbs awkwardly. Even Phichit didn’t seem to know what to do. Viktor looked at them, unsure of what to do. He wanted to say something, but what could he say? 

Well, he supposed he could tell them something about him. He knew more about their world than they knew about his. Seems like a good time to do so while they waited on the angry kitten to come back.

The Russian smiled, leaning forward onto his knees. “Have I ever told any of you about my world?” he asked, smiling at the two toys, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. 

The doll and tin toy’s eyes widened, curiosity sparking in both pairs of dark eyes. Hooked. 

“Oh! That’s right. We never asked you about your world. How rude of us.” Yuuri said, looking embarrassed. 

Phichit grinned his sunny smile at Viktor. “Well, tell us! Tell us all about your world!” 

Viktor smiled, tapping his finger to his lip in thought. “Well, let’s see. I live in a city called St. Petersburg, and that's in a country called Russia. I have an apartment, and an adorable poodle named Makkachin!” 

Viktor was pleased to find the toys staring at him in rapt attention, eyes growing bigger and shining brighter as he talked about home. He felt encouraged to continue. 

“I ice skate every day at an ice arena, where I train with my follow rink mates and my coach Yakov.” Viktor pointed to his own head as he talked about his coach. “He has gray hair, but he’s completely bald on top! He tries covering everything up with a fedora, but we all know he’s hardly got any hair left.” 

Yuuri laughed at Viktor’s gestures, which made his Russian heart soar. That was until Yuuri crushed it by pointing his finger into the whorl on top of his head. 

“Oh, you mean like here?” he said in a teasing voice. He poked again at the stiff man. “Your hair seems to be getting a little thin here, too. You really shouldn’t stress your poor coach so much. Karma will repay you tenfold, didn’t you know?” 

Viktor slumped to the ground, whining as he covered his silver hair. “Yuuuuri! You’re so cruel! You’ve wounded me.”

Phichit laughed, holding his sides. “Oh, god, Yuuri, you savage! A pure monster!” The tin toy looked down at the suffering man on the dirt. “He used to do that to the prince whenever he teased Yuuri about his weight. It was sickeningly cute until the hair gets pulled into the fray. He was proud of his hair.” 

Viktor raised an eyebrow, still somewhat distressed at having his one weakness pointed out. And for an unapologetic Yuuri chuckling at him. If only he didn’t like this young man so much.

“What do you mean weight? Yuuri’s weight looks fine?” he questioned more than stated, glancing over at the doll. 

Yuuri gulped, covering his face, now his turn to be completely embarrassed, while Phichit laughed. “Yuuri here, if you don’t remember us saying, gains weight pretty easily. He has to work really hard to make sure that he stays in good shape, but sometimes he, well…” He looks over at Yuuri, giving the doll a shit-eating grin. “Let’s just say that our favorite _danseur_ gets a little bit of a katsudon belly if you don’t watch out.” 

“Phichiiiiit!” Yuuri groaned, his suffering on par with Viktor's. “Don’t tell him that!” 

“Aw, but why not, Yuuri?” the dark skinned boy questioned, continuing his grin. “You’re human. A lot of the citizens actually get very excited when they see the most current _danseur_ is actually a human being and gains weight like everyone else. Nobody’s perfect.” 

“Except I’m supposed to be in top shape.” Yuuri moaned, covering his face again. “Between you and the prince, I don’t know what to do with you two!” 

Phichit turned his grin over to Viktor. “The prince has oft been the one to encourage Yuuri to relax and indulge.” He patted Yuuri on the back, his grin softening into a smile. “He was head over heels for this wonderful guy. And who wouldn't be? Look at those thighs!” Yuuri let out an indignant screech as Phichit laughed uproariously.

Viktor found himself unable to disagree with the prince's taste in men. Head over heels sounds about right. He felt himself redden as Yuuri stared down at the ground, a soft smile on his face as they talked about the prince. Why couldn’t he have that smile? Why couldn’t Yuuri think of him that way? Would he ever think of him that way? 

The Russian made shook his head roughly. This wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be thinking of another man’s fiancé like this. And yet… He felt drawn to Yuuri. It was like they were meant to be.

Of course, Yuuri might think of him as a total creeper for thinking that, especially since he was engaged. Not to mention it would be unfair to Yuuri to force his feelings on to him. It would be best to bury those feelings far down into the depths, hiding them forever. 

One look at Yuuri as he thought that shattered the initial plans of burying feelings and revived them yet again. 

Dammit all. 

Suddenly, there was a loud voice shouting at them. “Yuuri!” The trio turned as branches snapped and bushes swayed, parting to reveal a very startled Yurio. 

The doll rose quickly to his feet, walking over to the cat boy. “Yurio? What’s wrong?” 

The cat boy panted, his green eyes wide. “Th-the trees…” he wheezed, his eyes haunted. 

Yuuri’s face darkened. “Show me.” he ordered in a level voice. 

Yurio took off back to where he came from, Yuuri following closely behind. Phichit and Viktor looked at each other, and the two immediately followed behind the others. They hiked a long time, Yurio explaining everything to Yuuri along the way while the other two followed, left in the dark about the situation. It wasn't hard to determine the severity of the situation, however. 

And, oh, how severe it was. 

They reached a little copse, and Viktor felt his heart sink at the unfamiliarity of it. Instead of the dark reddish pink leaves, mint grass, and silver bark trees he's become familiar with, everything was shriveled and black, the plants shrinking in to themselves. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare. 

"What happened here?" Viktor managed to whisper, staring at the plants all around them. 

Phichit walked over to a tree, placing his hand on the bark. His face remained stony as it crumbled at his touch. "This place. It died." he remarked grimly, dark gray eyes serious. 

Yuuri gazed upon the clearing, his brilliant brown eyes taking everything in. "I think we need to hurry home." he said seriously, his tone firm. "We've no time left if this is starting to spread." 

Viktor turned to agree with Yuuri when he spied something coming out of the blackened brush. "Nutcrackers!" he shouted, alerting his companions. The trio whipped their heads towards Viktor, eyes widening as nutcrackers emerged into the clearing. 

One of the wooden soldiers pointed a sword at them. "After them!" it shouted. 

"RUN!" shouted Yuuri. The four of them raced in the opposite direction of the soldiers, intent on escape. They're usually able to defeat the nutcrackers with the element of surprise, but, as Viktor learned, going to actual combat with them was hard, considering they had the stamina of toys rather than a human. 

Needless to say, they needed to find a new place to hide quick before Viktor and Yurio wore out. 

Speaking of, the cat boy was racing ahead of the group, being the youngest and the fastest, fear only increasing his speed. He weaved through bushes and trees, the red leaves raining whenever he grabbed at a branch. The group followed after him closely, which led to the unfortunate events that happened soon after. 

Yurio suddenly stopped running, leading to Yuuri bumping into him, then Phichit. Viktor tried to slow down, but he, too, rammed into the trio, only for the other three to discover just why Yurio had stopped running. 

They had just pushed themselves off of a cliff. 

Everyone screamed, the toys immediately pulling themselves around the softer, more fragile beings to protect them as they fell down the cliff side, down to some unknown place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, I actually ended it in suspense. Pft, suspense. (But this was seriously unintentional. I was finishing up the ending in the text box and it kind of happened, and I liked it.) 
> 
> But like I stated before, FORGIVE ME. This really felt like stretching to me, but as I had mentioned, I want to fill in more with the falling in love before I get to the real meat of the action, where everything goes to heck and beyond. 
> 
> Please comment! It helps encourage me. Also, if you do feel like you have a scene that you think would be...interesting to have for the potential lovebirds, feel free to comment, too! I'll give proper credits for ideas/scenarios if I use them. 
> 
> Thank you so much for your continued support! *bows deeply*


	11. Closeted Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's feelings continue to grow for Yuuri, and perhaps the lovely doll's feelings are starting to surface as well? How can a man control himself around another man's man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE. Just now updating all my stuff since I feel organized enough to do so after moving in to my new place! ^^ 
> 
> So, a lot of stuff happens, and we start getting to see the romance bloom. (About time, am I right?) But I wonder how well that will go...? X3
> 
> Special shout out to WarriorNun for the suggestion of a dance for the two lovers! Sorry about the location, though. ^^; Also, another special shout out to SHSLshortie for requesting for more interactions between the lovers. 
> 
> Thanks, and without further ado: read on!

Being in Yuuri’s arms was...well plastic. And jointed. Only because he was a doll, though. Which he seriously can’t help. He lacked the softness of skin and flesh, as well as its warmth. It lacked the feeling of an actual human body, a person. 

But it felt familiar all the same. The shape. The feel. It felt almost like muscle memory as Viktor wrapped his arms around the back of his head to protect the doll’s head, despite the probably unnecessary need to protect a skull that isn’t technically even a skull at all. Nonetheless, there was an absolute instinctual desire to protect. 

In Yuuri’s arms, and Yuuri in his, it felt perfect. Familiar. 

Meant to be. 

This would be a lot more romantic if they weren’t falling off a cliff to certain death. 

Luckily for the four of them, the cliff side was more of a slope, and bushes and trees were the only danger looming their way. The four of them tumbled, Viktor and Yuuri holding on to each other, while Phichit was trying to avoid impaling Yurio with his wind up key on his back. 

They screamed. Unashamedly so. But who wouldn’t be when you don’t know what the hell is going on, what with everything around you spinning out of control? It’s quite terrifying, they’d tell you that!

They finally landed down at the bottom of the steep slope, Viktor on top of Yuuri, the tin boy and the cat boy groaning a few feet further away. 

Viktor slowly sat up on his hands and knees, groaning as well. He could already tell he was going to be sore in the morning. He was oblivious to their position until he heard a groan underneath him, and blue eyes meeting brown. 

His heart skipped a beat at the adorable doll blinking up at him, seemingly short-circuiting in shock, very much like Viktor was. However, neither one of them moved. Neither one of them felt encouraged to move, either. 

That is, until they heard shouting from the nutcrackers, who stupidly decided to pursue them down the cliff not-cliff. 

Yuuri gasped, pushing Viktor up and off of him. “We’ve got to move!” he hissed, pulling Viktor up to his feet. The leader ran to the still dizzy younger males and grabbed Yurio, yanking him up and over his shoulder. Viktor pulled Phichit to his feet. 

“Oi! I can run myself!” Yurio shouted, struggling in his arms. 

“You’re a child! I’m not taking more chances than I already am to begin with!” Yuuri snapped, his grip tight on the hissing boy. 

Viktor helped Phichit with his balance, keeping a firm grip on his waist while the tin toy was working on reorienting himself. The dark gray eyes widened in thought. “I know this place! Yuuri!” he shouted, getting the other young man’s attention. “There should be a cave around here! We can hide in there!” 

Yurio blanched. “NO. No more fucking caves!” he snapped, wriggling fiercely. “I refuse to fuck around with more spiders!” 

Yuuri braked sharply, turning to Phichit. “We don’t have much of a choice. Phichit, lead the way!” 

The tin toy nodded, leading their group away, everyone else pointedly ignoring the furious as hell Yuri screeching and clawing at Yuuri’s back by now, more for his lack of dignity left than actual anger. Phichit was soon able to move without Viktor’s assistance, taking his position at point towards their hopeful safe haven, the ever growing sound of nutcrackers drawing near.

The dark skinned toy’s eyes brightened as they came across a rather small looking entrance. “In there! Go in there!” he exclaimed excitedly. 

Viktor stared at the entrance, baffled. That was a rabbit hole, not a cave entrance. Phichit must have his information wrong. His information magic was on the fritz, anyways, right? There was no way they could escape now! 

Yuuri seemed to share Viktor’s thoughts, but charged ahead anyways. “Phichit Chulanont, you better be right!” he exclaimed, diving for the space, Yurio still in tow over his shoulder. 

Viktor watched in awe and amazement as the space around the rabbit hole expanded, making the hole large enough to allow for the Yuris to enter together in their mad dash. 

Phichit was next to dive forward, the space easily accommodating for his key on his back as he, too, slid through the hole. 

The Russian man knew he had no time to balk. Not when there were God knows how many nutcrackers on his tail behind him. As he got closer, the braced himself as he dove, aiming straight for the hole. 

The sensation of whatever magic that allowed the rabbit hole to do it’s thing tingled through Viktor’s body, making him feel funny as he barreled through, falling down a dirt tunnel. He could hear the shouts of alarm from the three denizens ahead of him, everyone crying out in fear as they slid down the tunnel. 

The space opened up and Viktor was soon landing on top of the other three in a huge dog pile on the dirt floor, groaning as the impact resulted in him nearly losing an eye to Phichit’s key. The wind up toy sat up on top of the two Yuris, throwing Viktor off-balance. His arms pumped the air in victory. 

“I WAS RIGHT!! OMG, MY MAGIC WORKED FOR ONCE!” he squealed, sounding positively giddy. 

“Good, now GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” Yurio snapped, shoving the tin toy up and off of him. Yuuri adjusted his glasses as he, too, sat up, dusted himself off as the other toy gushed over how his magic was working for the first time in years. 

The baby blue doll turned to his friend. “Hey, Phichit, where are we?” he asked curiously. 

Phichit grinned, looking even more giddy. “Don’t you remember, Yuuri? This is the way to Celestino’s cavern!” 

Yuuri perked up in response. “Celestino?! Oh my god, how long has it been since we last saw him? I thought he had been taken prisoner long ago!” 

“Nope, seems not. His rabbit hole is still working, after all!” the dark-skinned boy replied happily. 

Viktor busied himself with dusting off his clothes, confusion on his face. “Who is Celestino?” he asked politely. 

Phichit giggled excitedly. “He’s a wizard, just like Yuuri’s dad!” he explained, looking happy. “I was actually training as an apprentice under him until I became Yuuri’s valet. He’s the best wizard there is after Yuuri’s father.”

Yuuri nodded. “He’s very kind, and very helpful. He might be able to shelter us from the nutcrackers until everything above dies down.” 

Viktor smiled, pleased with this answer. “Then we should hurry and find him. I’m sure in no hurry to meet up with our nutcracker friends again.” he said in amusement. 

Yurio gagged. “That guy’s always a weirdo. And he taught an ever weirder weirdo.” 

Phichit laughed. “Aw, you know you love me!” 

❉ ❉ ❉

Celestino turned out to be just as interesting as the rest of the denizens of Yutopia. The man was turned into a marionette, similar in joints to Yuuri, but with a very wooden appearance. It was rather disturbing to look at, which made Viktor feel a little bad. He can’t help that he looked like a creepy puppet, after all.

Regardless, the puppet had been warm in welcoming his guests, hugging Yuuri and Phichit tightly, regaling the early days when he was teaching Phichit before Yuuri became a _danseur_ and a quick favorite of the prince and the kingdom. This received a lot of humble stammering from Yuuri, and a lot of ribbing from Phichit. 

“Celestino, we were hoping we could stay low here for a day or two?” Yuuri finally got up the courage to ask, following the wizard inside his cave abode. “The nutcrackers will be swarming the forest by now, and we have nowhere else to hide unless we wanted to expose where the others are.” 

Celestino smiled, his wooden white teeth bright. “Of course, Yuuri! Anything for you boys!” he replied warmly, hugging him and Phichit both for what seemed like the fifth time. “Now, you must show me one of your dances, Yuuri! It’s been so long since I’ve heard music.” 

Yuuri smiled brightly in response. “I would be honored to, Celestino.” he said happily. 

Phichit cheered, following behind the puppet. “It’s so great to know that Ciao Ciao’s alive and well!” he stated happily, folding his arms behind his head. “He’s a great wizard!” 

“Well, unfortunately, my own magic was cancelled thanks to that stupid king we have now.” the puppet retorted, frowning slightly, cheery demeanor gone. “I’m sure he did that to ensure I didn’t use my own magic to free Toshiya.” 

Viktor blinked, forgetting the name. “Who’s Toshiya again?” he asked, feeling embarrassed. 

“Yuuri’s father, the royal wizard.” Phichit replied, face looking a little grim. “He was turned into a crystal ball for the king, remember?” 

“Ah, yes. I do now.” Viktor replied, casting Yuuri a sympathetic glance when he wasn’t looking. 

Yuuri bit his lip, bravely moving forward. “I’ll find a way to free everyone in our world, including my father.” he vowed, looking serious. “I won’t let them suffer any longer if I can help it.” 

Viktor nodded. “I will help however I can, Yuuri. I promise.” he said softly. 

Yuuri smiled, turning to Viktor. His brown eyes looked soft and gentle. “Thank you, Viktor.” he said sincerely. “I appreciate it.” 

If Viktor’s heart didn’t skip a beat then, then he didn’t know what happened to make him lose his breath. 

❉ ❉ ❉

Later on that night, Yuuri danced beautifully for Celestino and the others, the music from his body emitting a cheerful, hopeful tune as he danced merrily, as if trying to raise their spirits. Was there anything more incredible and thoughtful than Yuuri? Viktor didn’t think so. 

Viktor smiled and clapped along with the others as Yuuri performed, bringing joy and laughter to his small audience as he did, more than proving his worth as a _danseur_ worth his salt. 

As Yuuri finished another dance, the Russian raised his hand childishly into the air. “Oh, Yuuri! Let’s dance together!” he exclaimed excitedly, wanting in on the fun. 

Yuuri paused, surprised. He blushed deeply. “Oh, um, okay, Viktor…” he said awkwardly, which led to a happy cheer from the foreigner. The silver haired man jumped up to his feet, then took Yuuri’s hand in one of his, and rested the other on the _danseur’s_ waist. It felt like his hand was made to rest there. 

Oh, how he wished that he could see how pretty Yuuri would look with a bright, pink blush on his cheeks. His cuteness would increase tenfold then. 

They slowly worked into a waltz, music slowly crescendoing in from Yuuri, a soft, romantic melody. The doll hardly seemed aware of it, as his eyes never leaving Viktor. Viktor found himself getting lost in deep brown eyes, almost losing his footing in the process. 

Yuuri laughed, straightening both of them back out. “Look only at me.” he said with a chuckle, helping Viktor get back on the right foot. 

Viktor smiled. “I wouldn’t ever want to look any other way.” he admitted in a soft whisper, too soft for their audience to hear. Yuuri stared at him, bright eyed and shocked, mouth hanging open slightly in response. 

Dancing with Yuuri felt perfect. Right. Everything else around them melted away, leaving the two of them alone. His own feet became as graceful and smooth as Yuuri's, his own body now perfectly keeping with the music emanating from the doll. Every breath he took. Every glance into brown eyes. All of it. 

Familiar. 

Safe. 

Home. 

It was then, Viktor realized, that he was in love. 

They slowed, bodies closer to each other than when the song began, and the music came to a gentle halt, leaving the two of them staring into each other’s eyes, lost in their own world. 

Viktor would have taken that opportunity to kiss Yuuri if he could. He might... 

That is, until Phichit ruined it. “Aaaaaaand kiss!” he shouted, grinning widely. 

They turned to the dark skinned boy, Viktor’s face a brilliant pink while Yuuri’s doll face looked mortified. “Phichit!” the doll scolded. 

“What? A guy can dream, right?” the tin toy mused, grinning at the expense of his friends. 

Yuuri covered his face. “I can’t believe you! You’re horrible!” 

Yurio gagged. “Got that right. That’s a disgusting image to think about, and that’s usually reserved for you and the prince.” he grumbled, getting up to his feet. “I’m going to sleep. Celestino, where do I sleep?” 

Celestino gave Yurio a bright white smile. “I’ll show you to where you may sleep! Viktor can come along, too, to join us.” 

Viktor declined politely, shaking his head. “I’ll stay up a little longer. I can find my way later.” he assured. 

The puppet nodded. “Then I will leave you be.” 

Phichit jumped up to join them. “I’ll come with! It’s been too long since I’ve seen you, Ciao Ciao!” he exclaimed, throwing a wink their way. Yuuri slapped his face with his palm in exasperation. 

Yurio went over to Viktor, then pulled the man down by his shirt. “Listen. If you try anything with Yuuri, don’t forget: he’s an engaged man.” 

Viktor felt his stomach plummet at the threat. As if he needed to be reminded of that. “Of course.” he said, giving him a pleasant smile, one that he saved for the cameras. “I understand.” 

Yurio huffed, tail twitching, and left with the other two toys, leaving Viktor and Yuuri alone. 

The Russian turned to Yuuri, smiling softly at him. “You’re a beautiful dancer.” he remarked softly. “I’m sure you’ve heard that multiple times, but I hope that you know that it’s true.” 

Yuuri looked down shyly, his smile small and proud. “It’s one of the few things I’m good at, and proud of. I have worked very hard for this, after all.” he said teasingly, walking off to a small cave stream near them. 

Viktor followed him, not wanting to be separated far from the other man. “Well, you should be very proud. You’ve worked so hard. It’s beautiful.” 

Yuuri chuckled, looking up at him. His eyes were soft with a hint of sadness. “Viktor. I’m only going to remind you of this once, so please listen.” he said carefully. He placed his hand on his chest, over his crystal heart. “I’m engaged. My heart belongs to someone else.” 

The doll sighed heavily. “Even if he’s been gone for years, I’m still his. And he’s mine. Whatever this-” he gestured to the air between the two of them, his eyes looking downcast, “it can’t be. I’m betrothed. I can’t be with you.” 

Viktor felt his heart crack at the clear rejection. He stared down at his feet, face reddening in shame. He knew that. He knew, but he couldn’t stop himself from falling in love. It was so stupid. He didn’t need to be told how it could never work out. 

Yuuri bowed to him, his hair falling in his face, shielding his expression. “I’m sorry, Viktor. I hope you understand.” The doll turned, and Viktor caught a flash of hurt on his beautiful features. That was all it took him to reach for his wrist and pull him back towards him, pressing his lips to the doll’s own. 

Yuuri’s eyes were wide at first, his body rigid, but Viktor pulled him closer as the other man softened, kissing him back. Viktor ran his fingers through dark hair, the aching familiarity going through his body as he held Yuuri. 

Just as soon as that kiss began, it felt like it ended far too soon after. Yuuri’s gasp of horror stopped him from continuing further, and he felt the doll’s strong arms push him away. He looked down to him in time to see the mask of pure horror, pain, and guilt written all across Yuuri’s face, his eyes shining with tears unable to be shed. Yuuri’s articulated hand was covering his mouth. 

“I’m so sorry.” The doll turned away, running away from Viktor. The Russian stared after the doll, feeling guilt and pain as he watched him go. 

He couldn’t bring himself to run after him. Not after what he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand there we go! Well, wasn't expecting to end it like that (literally), but it felt right. Especially since it will catapult to the next chapter's events! 
> 
> To all of you who have been reading this and continue to, thank you so much. This one's been a little harder for me to write, but I really do like how it's going. Thank you so much for your continued support!


	12. Memories of Another Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's guilt over pushing his feelings onto Yuuri has...unexpected outcomes in the real world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HONESTLY CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I'VE POSTED CHAPTERS ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER, Y'ALL. Like seriously, it's been such a long time it feels since I was one right after another, but I just got to started on writing on this one minutes after updating Twin Lilies, and bam, I got another chapter ready! So here it is!

For once since it began happening, Viktor was glad to wake up in his world when he fell asleep. It helped him hide from the look of guilt that Yuuri wore on his face after he had kissed the doll merely a couple of hours ago now. The Russian stared down at the comforter on his bed, hugging his pillow to his chest, heart heavy. 

He shouldn’t have done that. How could he act so selfish? He acted on his own instincts, and now Yuuri was sure to hate him for acting on those feelings. He should have buried them down, deep deep in the pits of his mind, where no one could have ever found them. But kissing Yuuri... It had felt so right, so perfect, so familiar. But his actions hurt the person he had fallen in love so deeply with. 

He berated himself for his selfish, impulsive decision. What was he going to do now? Yuuri was bound to be more than aware of his feelings for him, and what hurt worse, was that he felt the same coming from Yuuri. The doll, however, would never, ever reciprocate his feelings, not when he was still so loyal to the prince. 

Why did he have to go and fall in love like this? How did he even get into this mess? 

Viktor sighed, deciding that wallowing in his misery in dirty clothes was a terrible idea. He rose, shuffling off to take a cold shower. He walked out of his bedroom and into the large bathroom he had to himself, leaning in to the shower to turn the water on to cold. He stepped into the shower, letting the freezing liquid hit his head harshly. He needed to have a cool head. He deserved it. 

He stood in the shower, hardly scrubbing himself before he decided he was too cold to deal with it anymore. 

He turned off the water, toweled off, and dressed again, padding off into the living room. Makkachin was lying on the couch sleeping, but woke up as soon as he heard his owner enter the room. He woofed happily, his tail wagging at the sight of his master. 

The Russian slid onto the couch, hugging Makkachin to him. “Oh, Makka,” he murmured, burying his nose into curly brown fur. “I messed up big time. What am I going to do?” The old poodle whined, pressing into Viktor’s shoulder. 

Viktor held his dog closer, eyes growing watery before they wandered over to the music box on his coffee table. He had moved it back into the living room at some point, probably when his friend Chris had decided to come over to drink, despite Viktor’s protests that night (especially since he knew he was just going to go back to Yutopia as soon as he fell asleep, and didn’t fancy being _drunk_ while trying to find a way to save the dream world). He had decided to show off his new music box to his Swiss friend before finally shooing him away hours later from his apartment for much needed rest. 

The Russian let go of Makkachin a little, reaching forward to pick up the box from the table. He held it in his hands, staring at the plain little box sadly. He opened it, and the beautiful music played once again, reminding Viktor vividly of the beautiful music that played the first time he had watched Yuuri dance. 

Tears sprang to his eyes as he watched the handsome dancer spin gracefully around on his platform, hand still outstretched to some lover of his from afar. His thoughts turned to Yuuri again, and how he wanted to be the one to answer that call. To be the one to hold Yuuri, and be his support through all the madness of his life. He wanted to be that person. 

He wanted to be _Yuuri’s_ one and only. 

The music came to a stop, and Viktor had to choke back a sob at the figurine’s position. The outstretched hand was extended towards Viktor. Oh, how he wished it were true. He wished it so much. 

But he wasn’t the prince. He didn’t deserve someone like Yuuri. And it hurt like hell knowing that. 

After crying for about ten minutes, Viktor got himself warmly dressed and took Makkachin out for a walk. He had a day off from skating, so he was going to take the opportunity to piece together his broken heart and spend much needed time with his beloved dog. 

Makkachin, however, seemed determined to betray him for some reason by having him walk by the very same toy store that he had bought the music box from. This was the place that eventually led him to his current heartbreak. He groaned, pressing his forehead to the brick of the building. 

“Makka…! Do you hate your papa so much?” he whined, knowing that that wasn’t the truth, but still feeling a sense of betrayal. He heard the familiar sound of the toy store owner humming as he opened the door to the shop, flipping the ‘open’ sign. The stout Japanese man looked up at Viktor, smiling cordially. 

“Ah, hello again, young man. Come for another look around?” he asked cheerfully, clapping his hands together. 

Viktor sighed, shaking his head. “No. My Makka wanted to walk by here today, apparently.” 

The old man frowned, squinting his eyes. “You sound distressed. How about I make you some tea? I won’t be having any customers any time soon, and my son’s already left for his ballet practice.” 

Viktor looked up at the old man, chewing his lip. “I wouldn’t want to be a bother-” 

“No bother here!” the old man tutted, now attempting to push Viktor into the store. “I’ll make you some warm tea, and you can tell me all about your troubles!” 

Viktor managed to keep from entering the store, instead turning to the old man. “Please, I don’t wish to…” He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to keep from being rude. Language barriers were a pain to work with, and he didn’t want to insult the man’s otherwise generous offer. 

He talked slowly as he thought of his words carefully. “If...If I were to say that I have fallen in love with a person I cannot be with, what should I do?” he asked cautiously. “I think that they might share those same feelings with me, too. But I’ve upset them for confessing my feelings for them. What should I do?” 

The old man hummed, thinking for a moment, stroking his chin. He smiled, looking up at him. “I say that you should go for it!” 

Viktor stared in bewilderment. “Huh?” 

The old man smiled. “Life’s too short to let important things such as love go by. If you two share the same feelings, doesn’t it make sense to go for it?” 

Viktor bit his lip. “But suppose-” 

“Young man, do you love this person?” 

Viktor blinked, staring at him in shock. “I… Y-yes.” 

The old man smiled. “Then go to them. Show them that.” He chuckled, looking up at Viktor, like he knew some great secret. “You may very well have had their heart from the beginning for all you know.” 

Viktor stared at the old man, feeling at a loss. “But they-” 

“Are you going to keep arguing with me, or are you going to them?” he fussed at the Russian, shooing him away from the store. “Go! On with you! Go to that boy!” he commanded, waving Viktor off. “And don’t come back until you have done so!” 

Viktor hurried off with Makkachin in tow, completely confused. How could he have had Yuuri’s heart from the beginning? That made no sense. They didn’t even know each other until after he had bought the music box. 

And how in the world did the store owner know it was a man he was talking about?

He stopped in front of a store window, leaning against the glass. He was so confused. His head hurt. His heart hurt worse. Was he finally losing it from lack of actual sleep? He had to be. It was the only thing that made sense. 

It made a lot more sense than falling in love with other people’s fiancés. 

He pushed himself off the glass, thinking that this day couldn’t possibly get worse when he smacked right into a light pole. 

Talk about a headache now. 

He keeled over, and the world went black.

❉ ❉ ❉

Viktor woke up to music playing, and laughter in the air. His vision focused, and his eyes widened at the sight of a huge party before him. 

The room was large, every corner draped in white and silver, making the room feel like a wintry wonderland, perfect for a party with ice skating. People were dancing, wearing ice skates paired with fancy costumes. An orchestral band was playing in the center of the room, playing lively music for the guests to skate to. He thought he recognized a few faces in the crowd, but was unsure. Everything felt familiar, even down to the last crack in the ice. 

It was strange. 

He ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to figure out his thoughts, only to find that his silver locks were long and flowing. His eyes widened in shock. His hair hadn’t been this long in years. 

He immediately looked down at himself, finding that even his clothes were different. He wore a coat that was a beautiful magenta hue, decorated with gold tassels, and he wore black breeches and skates with gold blades. His long hair flowed over his shoulders, tied loosely with a ribbon to keep it in place. 

He felt like he could go crazy. Just where was he? Why was this so familiar? What was even going on? His mind was going miles and miles around until- 

“Darling?” He turned quickly to his left in surprise, only to find his eyes locking onto big, round brown eyes. His breath hitched as he recognized this face instantly. 

“ _Yuuri?_ ” he asked incredulously, staring down at the _danseur_. The rebel leader was human, with a soft, round face, his black hair slicked back on his head. He wore a similar outfit to Viktor, except his own coat was a dark blue, and the tassels silver. His skin looked soft to the touch. And he looked younger, too. How young was he in this dream? 

Wait, was he dreaming? This didn’t feel like a dream. Rather, this felt like… a memory. A distant, almost long forgotten one. He looked around the room, taking in all the details again, confusion and shock on his face. 

He felt a hand on his cheek, and his direction was directed back towards Yuuri. The young man’s face was filled with concern. “Darling, what’s wrong? Are you unwell?” he asked, pressing his other hand to Viktor’s forehead. 

The silver haired man blushed at Yuuri’s attention, feeling himself to be the luckiest person alive. And he knew that Yuuri was cute before as a doll, but he was downright _adorable_ with his cheeks tinged pink with life. Oh, my God, if anyone could die from cuteness overload, it’d be Viktor, happily dying at the hands of _Danseur_ Katsuki Yuuri. 

The teen fretted, brows furrowed. “You don’t feel terribly warm. Are you feeling alright?” Viktor smiled, taking his hands into his own, marveling at the warmth of Yuuri’s smaller hands. 

He carefully brought both hands to his lips, brushing his lips against the smaller man’s knuckles. If this were a dream, he was going to enjoy it, goddammit. “I’m feeling better with you by my side now.” 

Yuuri blushed prettily, causing Viktor’s poor heart to swoon at the sight. And what a pretty sight it was, too! The young man smacked Viktor on the shoulder, his blush only increasing. “Oh, hush, you!” he scolded, putting his hands to his hips. “I was being serious!” 

Viktor chuckled, taking one of Yuuri’s hands again. “So was I.” he said softly. The young man balked, then looked away, blushing again. Viktor pulled the young man closer, finding that this was easy to do, since they were both wearing skates. “Skate with me, my love?” he asked, wrapping an arm around his waist.

Yuuri looked back up at him, a small, beautiful smile growing on his lips. “How can I say no to that?” he asked softly, pulling himself closer to him. Viktor smiled and pulled him into a kiss. Yuuri happily kissed him back, then they began to skate. 

Viktor knew before from dancing with Yuuri that he couldn’t have found a better dance partner, but skating with him on the ice was even better. The _danseur’s_ talent of dancing translated smoothly on the ice, and before long, Viktor could hear the music from Yuuri’s body emanating the air. The band had long stopped playing as they entered the ice, the two taking center stage. They danced beautifully together, taking turns with awe inspiring step sequences and graceful lifts. Yuuri laughed as Viktor lifted him into the air, pressing his lips to Viktor’s as he was placed back down on the ice. Yuuri stared up at him with shining eyes, his stunning smile fixed on only Viktor. 

“I can’t believe that you actually convinced me to do an ice skating party for our engagement party,” the young man mused, circling around Viktor as his fingertips danced lightly on the other man’s shoulders. Viktor smiled at the sound of tinkling bells that sprinkled the air from the touch. 

Viktor placed his hand gently on Yuuri’s cheek, caressing the soft skin tenderly with all the love he felt for him. “Well, my dear, it seems fitting, doesn’t it?” he asked, amused. “Would you really want it any other way?” 

Yuuri laughed, the bells joining in with the beautiful melody of his voice. “You’re incorrigible.” he teased, his shining smile lighting the fire in his heart. 

Viktor’s own smile couldn’t have grown any bigger as it was now. “Only for you, my love.” he breathed, bringing Yuuri’s hands up to his lips so he could kiss them again.

Everything about this felt so familiar, and so right. He had been here before. He had skated here before with Yuuri. They have bantered like this so lovingly and tenderly before. This all felt right. 

This all felt _right._

Viktor looked down at Yuuri’s hands gently. On his right hand, there was a simple, golden band wrapped around one finger. 

An engagement ring. 

Viktor smiled, kissing the finger with the ring on it. “Oh, how I looked forward to this.” he sighed, letting himself get swept up in the unexpected memories. 

Yuuri smiled back, entwining his fingers with his. “I still can’t believe how cheesy you were when you gave me this,” he teased, wiggling his ring finger. “‘I want to give you the whole world.’ Really, you’re too much sometimes.” 

Viktor felt the odd sensation of that being all too true. He was having trouble remembering why, though. He smiled, kissing the finger again. “Well, it’s true. I _could_ give you the whole world. You are that precious to me.” 

The danseur smiled, kissing Viktor’s fingers back. “That’s sweet of you, but I don’t need or want anything.” He wrapped his arms around Viktor, hugging him close. “I only need you.” 

Viktor smiled, feeling his heart lighten with happiness. He wrapped his arms around Yuuri gently, cradling his head to his chest. He loved how well he fit in his arms. He ran his finger lightly through Yuuri’s short locks gingerly, kissing the top of his head. 

“I love you.” Yuuri looked up at him, his brown eyes wide and shining. Viktor chuckled, and together they leaned in together for another sweet, tender kiss. 

The tender moment ended when a loud crash suddenly filled the room. Yuuri gasped, and Viktor protectively held him closer to his chest, shielding him from potential harm. Gray smoke flooded the room, suffocating Viktor’s lungs. He continued to hold the younger man close to his chest until the smoke dissipated, and the guests turned to stare at the spectacle in front of them. 

There stood a man, in outlandish, garish clothes, an even more garish crown atop his head. He carried with him a gnarled staff, his gray beard flowing down his chin. He lifted his staff, spreading his arms out. “Citizens of this world!” he bellowed, eyes glittering like beetles as he swept his eyes over the room. “Your king has arrived!” 

Viktor frowned, instantly becoming enraged. He glided forward on his skates, his arms still protectively wrapped around Yuuri. “You are no king of ours. I am the ruler of Yutopia.” he said firmly, his eyes shining fiercely with the truth of the statement. “And you should not be here, stranger. I must ask you to leave at once!” 

The so-called self-proclaimed king stared down at Viktor, laughing mockingly. “You are no ruler. I sense no power from you. You are but a little flea to _my_ magic.” His eyes flitted to Yuuri, who was still curled close to Viktor’s side. The man’s face broke into a wolfish grin, eyeing _his_ Yuuri like a piece of meat. 

The stranger walked down the stairs towards them, bringing a hand up to Yuuri’s cheek. “And who might you be, you pretty thing?” he cooed, words oozing disgustingly. 

Yuuri quickly slapped his hand away from his cheek, pushing himself in front of Viktor. “I am _Danseur_ Katsuki, and I wish to repeat my fiancé's request. Leave us at once!” 

The man tsked, reaching a hand out towards Yuuri again. “Such a pretty thing, but with too much spirit. I’ll have to fix that before I make you my queen.” Yuuri gasped in disgust, skating further away from him. 

His beady eyes flickered towards Viktor, and he felt a cold chill sweep through his body. “But it seems I need to get rid of this one first. There can’t be _two_ rulers, after all.” 

Viktor heard Yuuri gasp, but before anyone knew what happened, Viktor was suddenly hit with a spell. He felt himself go flying, his head becoming jumbled in the process. The last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness was the sight of Yuuri turning into a doll, his brown eyes going dark and lifeless before collapsing to the ground. 

❉ ❉ ❉

The Russian came to to a group of people circling him, murmuring in worry. He could feel the cold wind biting his cheeks, the cement sidewalk freezing his back. He didn’t move until Makkachin began licking his face, seeming determined to lick him to life again. The Russian man sputtered in surprise until he sat up, feeling a huge headache coming on. 

“Sir, are you alright?” a woman asked worriedly, holding three fingers up. “How many fingers am I holding?”

Viktor stared at her, then everything came crashing back at him. He shot up to his feet, grabbing Makkachin’s leash in his hands. “I have to go! I’m sorry for the trouble, everyone!” he declared, hurriedly leaving the scene while ignoring the concerned voices behind him. 

He jogged the entire way back home, his thoughts racing through his mind. One thought came to the forefront of his mind, and it was the most startling of all. 

He had just seen the memories of the prince of Yutopia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if I might be able to get this streak going and have Half Breed updated by tomorrow? Hmmm... 
> 
> Kinda doubt it, but this has definitely helped with my creative slump I've had. I better ride it while I've got it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, especially the lovey dovey-ness. 'Cause I suck at that sometimes. Please leave a comment! It is encouraging!


	13. The Prince's Last Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor makes a ground breaking discovery, but it could lead to a sad ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THAT THIS IS SO LATE!!!! 
> 
> I was having trouble with tying all my multiple knots in this story, and when I finally realized what I could do, my trusty laptop decided that it was going to die. Or rather it's charger. Sooo... I had to start up this other laptop I did have that I had on multiple occasions attempted to use...but had always almost nearly threw it to the wall in anger. 
> 
> However, after three days of trying to figure out how to get the laptop to work (turned out it needed multiple updates ((it had not been used in so long)) as well as time to warm up to pick up speed), and now I'm finally able to write and update this chapter!! 
> 
> So once again, I'm very sorry for the late update, but I do hope you enjoy the newest plot twist yet (if you hadn't already figured it out)! ((And if you had, kudos to you!!))

Viktor paced in his living room, mind racing. He just saw Yuuri as a human. He saw everything that happened the night that the prince disappeared and everyone turned into toys. He even saw the king that was ruining everyone’s lives. 

How was this even possible? 

Viktor had long given up that this was some made-up dream world that he created from lack of good sleep or bad chicken, and had long given up that he’d be a hero in this dream. However, this vision, this dream, perhaps, has something to do with his role as a ‘hopper’? Likely. 

He sat down on the couch finally with a huff, cuddling into Makkachin’s fur. The old dog had curled up on the couch, and Viktor was in need of some serious cuddles. 

“I can’t tell what’s real and what’s a dream anymore, Makka.” he lamented, nuzzling into curly brown fur. “I feel so confused…” He stared down at the brown dog, feeling his heart grow heavy. “I wish things were simpler." He rubbed the poodle's ears, thoughts drifting to Yuuri. "I met someone. His name is Yuuri.” He chuckled, nuzzling the poodle’s head. “He’s sweet and smart, and oh so brave. You'd really like him, boy.” 

He sighed, hugging him tighter. “I love him. But he’s engaged. He can’t love me back, even if I tried to get him to love me back. Oh, Makka, what do I do?”

Makkachin whined, licking his nose in an attempt to cheer him up. He smiled faintly, scratching his ears. “Thanks, boy, but not even your kisses could change much of anything. Sorry, boy.” He continued rubbing his dog’s ears, staring up at the ceiling. “The prince sure is a lucky man. I wonder what happened to him?” 

He frowned, his eyes glancing over at his coffee table, where the music box rested. “Could he have been put under a spell, too, like Yuuri and the others?” he wondered aloud, thinking hard. “From the memory, it seemed that the king sent the prince away… So it would only make sense if the prince were under a spell, too!” For a moment, Viktor brightened, but just as quickly deflated. “But did his appearance change as drastically as the others’ had? Or was his magic taken from him, like Celestino and Phichit?” 

The Russian groaned, letting his head fall back. “This just keeps getting more and more confusing!” he exclaimed, shaking his head. He threaded his fingers through his hair, groaning. “What a nightmare!” 

He rose to his feet to pace the floor, thinking. Why would he be seeing the prince’s memories? And why this particular one? Viktor knew it had to be none other than the night of the engagement party. They had discussed at length multiple times that this night was the night that everything turned for the worst. 

So why was he seeing it? 

Viktor paused, his eyes widening. What if the prince was using him to communicate or something? Was that a hopper thing? He didn’t know, but it’s a damn better theory than he currently had. 

Plopping down on the couch, the Russian pulled the notepad he had left there days ago (when he was writing about the others) and turned to a new page to write down the details of this dream, down to the last details as best as his memory could help him. 

He stared down at the scribbles in front of him, tapping his foot. “Okay, this was the entire party.” he mused aloud. “Now what happened before all hell broke loose?” He tapped his pencil against his chin, thinking back. The dream. Yuuri, Phichit, and Yurio’s accounts. What else could have happened during the party? 

Nothing stuck out to him until he remembered a certain sentence, which he remembered that struck him as an odd chord in the dream.

‘I want to give you the whole world.’ 

World.

World.

Heart of the world? 

Viktor gasped as another memory, one of his own, flashed to the forefront. 

The Seer. She said she sensed the prince’s magic. In Yuuri’s glass heart, fromt his ring. 

The engagement ring from the prince. 

“Oh my God…” He needed to get to Yutopia, stat. 

❈ ❈ ❈

Viktor awoke in the room that Celestino had pointed him out to the night prior, not long after he had kissed Yuuri. His gut wrenched at the memory of Yuuri’s horror and guilt, and it wrenched further with the news he needed to share with him and the others. 

He forced himself out of bed, running his hands through his silver hair. He didn’t want to do this. This could break Yuuri’s heart. The prince’s last gift to him… 

He shook his head and headed out the room, forcing himself for the good of this world.. 

It didn’t take him long to find the others. They were gathered in Celestino’s study, talking out plans. Yurio was the first to notice him, chewing on a pastry that Celestino probably offered the cat boy for breakfast. He scowled, flicking his tail in annoyance. 

“Oi. About time you got up, stupid old man.” he growled, flattening his ears. 

“Yurio. Enough.” Viktor looked over to Yuuri, who was slumped in a chair, almost looking weary. He noticed how the doll was avoiding his gaze, and it made his heart sink. 

This was only going to get worse. 

Phichit smiled, seeming to be the only one almost unaffected by the mood in the room. At least enough to greet Viktor. “Hey, Viktor! What’s up? How was your world?” he asked. 

Viktor bit his lip, which got everyone’s attention. “Viktor? What’s wrong?” He looked up to big brown eyes staring at him, and he could see a clear worry in them, just like they had been in his dream of the prince’s memory. 

“I had a dream.” The others stared at him, baffled. “And I didn’t come here, either.” 

“What’s so alarming about this?” Celestino asked, confused. 

“Viktor’s a hopper. He hops over here when he’s asleep in his world.” Phichit explained hastily to the puppet before turning his eyes to Viktor. “What was the dream, then?” 

“I…” He looked over at Yuuri and swallowed. “I think it was the night of Yuuri and the prince’s engagement party. From his memories.” 

The others gaped at him, shock on each face. “What?!” Yuuri exclaimed, shocked. “You had a dream of my fiancé’s _memories?_ ” 

Viktor nodded solemnly. “And I saw the whole thing that happened, down to the prince’s banishment. So I decided to write it all down when I realized what it was, and something clicked.” 

He took a careful breath, deliberating how to word this. This was huge. And he needed to make sure he was understood correctly. “Yuuri, do you remember what your fiancé gave you last?” 

Yuuri started but nodded, placing a hand on his chest, right above his glass heart. “My ring. Our engagement ring.” he replied. 

Viktor nodded again. “Something you had said, Yuuri, was repeated in my dream. Something that the prince had told you when he gave you that ring.” 

Yuuri leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Viktor. “What one?” he asked, his voice sounding a little shaky

Viktor took a steady breath, then looked straight into those big, brown eyes that he had fallen in love with. “‘I want to give you the world.’” He paused, letting those words sink in with the others. “I was confused as to why it seemed to resonate with me, but I guess that was from me being the prince in his memories. Then I thought about our brush with the Seer.” 

This caught the others' attention more if it hadn't already. The Russian skater looked at the the trio pointedly. “Do you remember what the Seer said when she was attacking Yuuri, before she took his heart?” 

Yurio huffed in annoyance. “She was saying a lot of batshit crazy stuff. She’s insane.” he spat. “Don’t know what she’s got to do with this.” 

PHichit frowned. “She mentioned something about the prince’s magic.” he said, his dark gray eyes looking serious. 

Viktor nodded. “That’s right. That she sensed it. How would she have sensed it though, unless it was from Yuuri’s ring?” He let the others mull it over before he replied. “What if the prince gave Yuuri another gift, without really telling him?” 

“What kind of gift would he give Yuuri? He’s given him practically everything under the sun.” the tin toy mused, his confusion getting the better of him. 

Viktor nodded. “He probably has given him everything. But what better gift would you give to someone who meant the whole world to you except the world itself?” 

The others grew quiet. Viktor risked a glance at Yuuri. The doll’s face was painted in shock. His grip tightened over his heart. “He...he gave me the Heart.” he whispered, in shock and awe. “He gave me the Heart of our world…” 

Viktor nodded. “And it’s probably why the world hasn’t died yet; because you’ve been taking care of it all this time.” he said softly. 

Yuuri gasped, covering his mouth. His eyes were glistening and his body heaved with dry sobs. He curled in over himself, hugging his knees. 

“That idiot.” he sobbed, shaking his head. “That beautiful, stupid idiot. That’s how the king got here…” 

“Without the Heart keeping any outsiders with ill in their hearts out…” Phichit said slowly, realization hitting him hard. 

“Then there’s no wonder that we got invaded,” Yurio growled, shaking his head furiously. “That idiot prince! It’s his fault that we got landed in this mess all along! Stupid, fucking idiot!” 

Viktor flinched as Yurio hopped off his perch to kick at a chair in anger, while Phichit was trying to comfort Yuuri. He felt bad, but it seemed like the only reason that he could see. “Well, it seems that Yuuri’s heart has been keeping the world’s Heart safe this entire time. If it hadn’t, everyone and everything would be gone.” the Russian reasoned. 

“So what’s stopping us from returning the Heart?!” Phichit exclaimed excitedly all of a sudden. His eyes sparkled as he spoke. “We can return the Heart to it’s original resting place. We can dispel the king, and everything will return to normal!” 

Viktor almost felt like celebrating with the tin toy. Everything could become normal again for this world. Everything would be alright. Everyone would become human again, the world would stop dying. Everything would be alri-

“Not everything.” Everyone turned to Celestino in surprise, met with a grim face. Yuuri looked equally grim, and seemed to age. The wooden man put a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder, looking down at the doll. “We’d have to free the Heart from Yuuri’s own heart. And the only way to do that would be to…” “He trailed off, allowing his words to sink in. 

Viktor stared at the two, feeling his dread as soon as Yurio and Phichit voiced theirs. 

“No way! We need the piggy!” Yurio snapped, fur bristling. 

“Ciao Ciao, there has to be another way!” Phichit exclaimed, now horrified. “Yuuri can’t-!” 

“I would do for the world.” Yuuri’s voice cut through before anyone could get into any arguments. Viktor looked over to the doll, his face firm and serious. Every bit the rebel leader and ruler that he was and could be. 

Phichit didn’t look like he was going to have any of it. “Yuuri, you can’t just die! Everyone needs you!” 

“I would do it for our world!” Yuuri repeated firmly, raising to his feet. “It’s my duty as _danseur_ to do what needs to be done.” 

“You’re an idiot, then!” the cat boy shouted. “You can’t seriously be thinking this is a good idea!” 

“Do you have any better ideas?!” Yuuri snapped suddenly, his voice hardening. He wrapped his arms around himself, looking away. “If I’m able to help our people, our world this way, then I will. My life isn’t worth the sacrifice of everyone else’s freedom and happiness.” 

Viktor felt a lump rise in his throat, and felt an unusual pang of guilt. Yuuri… “The prince really is an idiot.” he murmured to himself, those feelings of guilt eating away at him. He could understand the innocent, warm intentions, but this was a stupid idea.

Why did it feel like it was _his_ stupid idea?

Celestino sighed, shaking his head. “I’m sure it started out as a harmless, maybe over-enthusiastic heartfelt gift - I mean, who wouldn’t want to give the world to the one they love? But now that gift has hurt everyone here.” He looked over at Yuuri. “I respect your decision, _Danseur_ Katsuki. With the prince gone, you are, of course, regent after him. I will respect your decision as my leader, but my heart hurts as your friend and mentor.” 

Yuuri smiled at Celestino gratefully, which made Viktor’s heart hurt more. Without much thought into what he was doing, Viktor lunged towards Yuuri, grabbing his hands in his. He didn’t realize he had done this until Yuuri started, but once he realized he actually really didn’t care. 

“I can’t respect it.” he admitted. “I’m sorry, Yuuri, but you shouldn’t have to go through this. The prince should be the one who has to do this, not you!” The taller man pressed his forehead against Yuuri’s, his body shaking. “What I’d give to trade places with you so you didn’t have to go through this…” he murmured, unable to quell the hurt in his heart. 

Yuuri stared wide-eyed at him, mouth gaping. “V-Viktor... “ 

“Wait, how was he able to see the prince’s memories?!" Phichit stared at Viktor, his eyes wide. "If I remember correctly, hoppers can’t do that! There's no way that Viktor could see those memories! Unless...” Phichit drifted off, eyes bugging wider. 

Viktor blinked in confusion while Yuuri gaped at him like a fish. “It can’t be…” The doll put his hands on Viktor’s cheeks, and stared up at him in shock. “Dar-” 

A monstrous shriek suddenly filled the room, and everyone cried out as dirt fell from the ceiling. 

“My home! It’s been discovered!” Celestino cried out, just as a thundering thud shook them with the falling earth again. 

“We have to get out of here!” Yurio exclaimed, fur on end. 

“This way!” Celestino shouted, leading everyone out of his home. The group ran, following the magician until they got out to open air, only to find themselves surrounded by nutcrackers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm so sorry for the lateness on this, guys. On the other hand, there's only a couple more chapters left in this story, too! Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you think!


	14. A Not So Heartfelt Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things spiral down from bad to worse, but the worst may become a reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the lateness of this chapter. -_- Due to some wonky issues courtesy of G__gle docs, out of ALL the pages of stories that I had, _this one_ had to be the _only one_ that refused to open and let me type on it, on top of this laptop still being slow and doing it's multitude of updates that it otherwise very much needed. 
> 
> But now all seems good on that front, and I was able to finish the chapter! And I do believe, if I am thinking this right, that the next chapter may be the very last one. :3
> 
> I hope you guys have stuck around to read this! Without further ado, here it is!

“Viktor, stay back!” Yuuri shouted, placing himself firmly between the Russian and the nutcrackers. “You're too important to this world!”

Viktor frowned, trying to push past the doll.”I beg to differ! _You're_ carrying the world on your shoulders - literally!”

“I am fine! Just stay behind me!” Yuuri insisted stubbornly.

Viktor huffed. “Well _I_ think -!”

“I think you two should _shut the fuck up!_ ” Yurio snapped, tail slashing as he growled at the nutcrackers.

“I hate to agree, but girls, you're both pretty, please stop trying to protect each other, and let's worry about the nutcracker ambush we have here, hm?” Phichit quipped, the tin toy getting ready to fight beside his friends.

Viktor met Yuuri’s eyes, and they came to a silent agreement. He took his place beside the doll, giving his hand a squeeze as they sized up their opponents.

There were about eight of them surrounding them. Viktor was sure that, despite being short a few people, that he and the others’ size would come to an advantage, considering the bulky bodies of the nutcrackers. 

“Let's clear them out, boys!” Celestino shouted, charging towards the nutcrackers fearlessly. Phichit and Yurio followed immediately after, with Yuuri and Viktor following after. Viktor felt almost a seamless, unspoken connection with Yuuri that he hadn’t been aware of before. The fluidity of their movements as they faced off and fought against the nutcrackers proved that much. 

Where Viktor came in, using a broken tree branch to disarm a nutcracker, Yuuri lowered himself, using his body to trip the nutcracker over, toppling it over like a beetle, limbs flailing in the air. They worked like a well oiled machine, the _danseur_ ’s fluid movements in tempo with Viktor’s. It was almost like a well rehearsed dance. 

And Viktor had never felt more right with Yuuri by his side than he did right now. 

They were getting the upperhand - the nutcrackers were not known for their brilliance, after all. Viktor could almost believe that they could be victorious. Then they can hurry back to camp and find a way to keep Yuuri alive while freeing the Heart - 

“Viktor, _look out!_ ” Phichit yelled, shoving the Russian to the side. The tin toy blocked a nutcracker’s wooden sword with his hands, keeping him in check when he suddenly stilled. The dark skinned boy’s eyes went wide. “Oh, no! My spring!” Aside from his face, Phichit’s body was frozen solid. They had neglected to wind him up this morning without even realizing it. 

Worse still, now they were down a person, and the nutcrackers seemed to catch on to that. The wooden creatures’ efforts seemed to double, the gnashing of wood teeth and the clack of wooden swords renewed. 

Viktor grunted as one wooden blade hit him flatly on his back, falling to the ground. Yurio screeched bloody murder when a nutcracker decided to pick him up. Celestino and Yuuri nearly had their joints taken out. 

Viktor rose unsteadily to his feet, wincing at the pain in his back, until he heard the telltale sound of flapping. He whipped his head around in time to see the gigantic vulture that he had the displeasure of meeting a few days ago. His face paled as it dove straight for him.

“ _VIKTOR!_ ” The silver haired man was shoved out of harm's way again, the vulture wrapping it's talons around his rescuer. Just as it started to pump it's wings to take off again, Viktor stared, horrified, at the captive.

“ _YUURI!_ ” Viktor made a mad dash to the trapped doll just as the giant bird lifted off, grabbing onto Yuuri’s hands. His bright blue eyes met wide brown, and he tightened his grip. “I'll get you out!”

“Viktor, you'll get hurt!” Yuuri looked terrified, mostly for the other man's safety than his own.

The Russian grunted painfully as the bird dragged them through trees to dislodge him. Yuuri loosened his grip.

“It wants only one of us. It was instructed.” the doll said lowly. Viktor could feel his arms shake. His eyes widened.

“Yuuri, don't-!” he begged, seeing the decision form in the other's eyes. 

Yuuri forced Viktor to let go, causing the older man to be caught in the next tree. He spat out a mouthful of leaves, then scrambled through the branches, horror seeping in. “Yuuri! _Yuuri!_ ”

He watched in horror as the face of the man he loved grew smaller, fading away as the buzzard became an inky blob on the sky.

“ _ **YUUUUURI!**_ ”

❈ ❈ ❈

He didn't remember what happened after he was stolen away. He could only remember the whistling of the wind in his ears, and the heartbreak in the eyes of the man that was his fiancé.

Oh, how could he have been so stupid all this time? Pushing him away, even if it all felt so strange but so familiar. His heart, or what should have been his heart, ached. He blamed himself for not knowing, even though the king's spell to erase the memories of the prince was on everyone. Yuuri, the very fiancé of the prince, should have known.

Viktor was their long lost prince.

Yuuri finally blinked his eyes open, finding himself in a stone cell. Bars secured the doorway and the one tiny window. How long has he been here?

He gasped, then frantically grabbed at his chest. He shuddered in relief as he felt the familiar ridges of his glass heart. Tenderly, he slipped it out of his chest and cradled it in his hands. He ran a thumb over it, feeling the pressure in his eyes that would have been tears.

God, he wished he could cry again. He hated it before because he was always afraid of worrying others or appearing weak. Now, he'd gladly shed every goddamn tear he was deprived of for so many years. 

He stared at the ring, his ring, in the middle of his heart. How could he have had the Heart this entire time? _And why the hell did Viktor think this was a good gift?!_ If he had the chance to in the end, he'll smack Viktor upside the head for this.

His thoughts were interrupted when footsteps approached his cell. He quickly shoved his heart back into his chest cavity, clutching the fabric in one fist. He rose to his feet and glared defiantly as the king finally showed his face.

The bearded man gave Yuuri a bow, eyeing him hungrily. “We meet again at last, _Danseur_ Katsuki.” he purred, leaning forward on his staff, running a hand over the crystal ball atop it. Yuuri resisted the urge to curl his lip. 

Yuuri lifted his chin proudly, leveling his eyes coolly. “I see you're still stealing my father's magic.” he said calmly, although he was fuming.

The king grinned, running a jeweled hand over the crystal again. “What can I say? I find it better to use another's magic to preserve mine.” The twirled his beard, which was now a rich brown color, his wrinkled appearance smooth and youthful. He grinned toothily at Yuuri, as if to impress him. “Certainly comes in handy, don't you think?”

Yuuri grit his teeth angrily. “My father is not some genie whose magic you can use so selfishly!” he snapped, taking a graceful step forward, the fire of defiance in his gaze. 

The king narrowed his eyes slightly, smiling coyly at him. “And yet he was powerless to me.” he sneered softly, his fingers lingering longer on the crystal ball.

Yuuri crossed his arms, boring holes into the king. “What do you want?” he demanded, keeping his voice low.

The king chuckled darkly. “Your hand, of course.” He opened the bars, having two nutcracker guards block the doorway. He strode towards him, intent in his eyes. Yuuri stepped away, refusing him when he reached out to touch him. The king continued to stare at him. 

“Your people refuse to recognize me as their ruler. This is very troubling for me.”

“Oh, you don't say?” Yuuri said sarcastically before he realized it. He decided not to be sorry for it.

The king narrowed his eyes. “But they listen to _you_ , my dear.” he purred, reaching out towards him again. “You’ve got the influence over them. I’ve got the power. It only makes sense that -” 

“Absolutely fucking not.” Yuuri crossed his arms, glaring at him. “I will not marry you just so that you can continue to be a tyrant over _my_ people, my friends!” 

The king sighed, shaking his head. He looked down at Yuuri like he was a child. “My dear, you have no choice.” he said mockingly. “You have no power that can rival mine. You are my prisoner here. You can do nothing to challenge me.”

Yuuri glared at him, letting his hate be felt. What he wouldn’t give for that to be a lie. But this bastard… With the addition to his father’s magic, this faulty king was, indeed, powerful. The only thing that would be more powerful than him would be- 

The doll faintly closed his hand over the place of his heart. He turned his head away from the king, towards the window. He knew that, atop the roof, the Heart of Yutopia once rested there. If he could get up there, he could free it. And for that to happen, he-

Yuuri finally turned his attention to the king, fixing his beady stare with deep brown.”You’re right. You are powerful, but I can see you’re not wholly stupid.” If the king gave him a look of anger, he ignored it. 

He looked out the window again. “If it were a matter of just taking power, you would have killed me, or did something similar to me what you have done to my prince. However, it seems you understand that that wouldn't bode well.” He returned his attention to the king, “If we were to marry, then it would have to be in front of the Heart.”

“The Heart?” the king mused.

The _danseur_ fixed the man with a serious stare, commanding attention with that look. “The Heart of the World is a very important relic to us, a monument if you will. Many a royal marriage has been held before it for ages. In fact, for many of the people, a marriage will not be recognized unless it is held before the place where the Heart rested.”

“So if I marry you in front of this Heart…” the king said, looking Yuuri up and down, “Then my position would be undeniable?” 

“Our marriage would be recognized, and you would be, indisputably, king.” The _danseur_ watched the king's response. He could see him growing to the idea. He gave him a graceful bow, as much as this body would allow him. 

“I will only accept your proposal this way.” he said formally.

The king smiled, then took Yuuri’s hand. The doll allowed himself to meet the king's beady eyes, fighting the urge to recoil as the king placed a kiss on his hand. 

He turned to his guards, gesturing to Yuuri. “Take _Danseur_ Katsuki to his new chambers. I want him to be comfortable and ready before our wedding.” He smiled down at the doll, his eyes gleaming victoriously. "We will wed tomorrow night." 

The _danseur_ let himself be escorted out, feeling his heart steel in determination.

This was the only possible way for him to get close to the altar of the Heart of the World without being stopped. If he succeeds, the world would be free, and this sham of a wedding won't happen.

Till death do us part, indeed. That would be the only part of his vows Yuuri would keep to that fiend.

❈ ❈ ❈

Viktor plunged through the entryway of the rebel camp, eyes wide with horror. “WE NEED HELP!” he shouted, his heart hammering. He could still see his fiancé’s face before he let go of that precious hand. He can't let him get hurt. Not again.

Yuuko the rag doll ran up to him, alarmed. “Viktor, what's wrong? Where are the others?”

Phichit, Yuri, and Celestino all erupted after him. The cat boy slapped Viktor on the head. “Shut up, idiot! You want to cause a panic?!” 

“What's going on?” _Danseur_ Baranovskaya demanded. Apparently she and _Danseur_ Okukawa had themselves moved outside to best oversee the others.

Minako stared at Celestino in shock. “Celestino? What are you doing here?” 

Viktor ignored everything around him. “Yuuri! We have to save Yuuri!” he exclaimed. “Th-that vulture thing! The bird! It took Yuuri!” 

He barely heard the multiple gasps around him. He had gathered quite the crowd around him, and he seemed to have them all captivated. 

Phichit pushed forward. “We also found the Heart!” More gasps of shock. “But it's in _Danseur_ Katsuki’s glass heart.”

A sheep boy gasped aloud. “That means that the king has control of the world!” he wailed, holding tight to a lion boy. “We're doomed!”

“OI, SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!” Viktor turned his attention to Yurio, his eyes widening in surprise. The cat boy sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We have to keep our heads, assholes, so stop with the fucking shouting already.” 

Phichit, thankfully, was the first to recover. “Yurio’s right. Right now, we need to make a plan of attack. Yuuri’s in there, and the king has the Heart. We can’t let him use it!” 

“And how do you propose that?” _Danseur_ Baranovskaya questioned, arching an eyebrow. “If you recall, we have never had a way in before.” 

“We have to find a way in!” Viktor insisted. “Surely there must be someone who knows-!” The Russian man was interrupted when a crashing sound happened behind them. He turned as Yuuko screamed. His eyes widened as they all faced a nutcracker, covered in the leaves and water of the secret entrance. 

Yurio jumped to the plate, fur bristling. “Get him!” As he lunged at him, the nutcracker raised his hands up in defense, an unusual intelligent gleam in his eyes.

“Wait, stop! Danseur Katsuki sent me!” he cried. Viktor blinked at the voice. It sounded like someone familiar, yet distant. Before he could ponder further, a swan suddenly flew out towards the nutcracker. 

“It’s JJ!” she screamed, fluttering to his side. The wooden soldier gasped, holding his hands towards her. 

“Isabella! Thank the gods you’re alright!” he cried out, holding her feathered body carefully. 

Phichit’s jaw dropped. “Wait, that’s _JJ?!_ I thought you disappeared when the king took over!” he exclaimed. 

JJ shook his head, looking alarmed. “No. It seems that when the guards were all turned, he erased our memories and made us mindless puppets!” JJ looked down at the swan in his arms. “Turns out I just needed my name to be said to be freed from his control. I have _Danseur_ Katsuki to thank for that.” 

“Enough about that, what about Yuuri?” Viktor demanded, stepping up to the nutcracker. The soldier stammered, looking very uncomfortable with Viktor’s tone. 

“Th-that’s what he sent me for: he freed me and told me to come to tell you guys something.” He looked around the crowd, making sure he had an audience. 

“ _Danseur_ Katsuki Yuuri intends to destroy his heart and free the Heart tomorrow night, at the altar of the Heart, during his wedding ceremony to the king.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk about "until death do us part". I'll actually cover the exchange between Yuuri and JJ at the beginning of the next chapter. But holy crap, this is getting to a close! Nail biting, suspense... I hope you guys at least feel it is so! ^^; 
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments! And thank you guys so much for your continued support in this venture!


	15. Places, Everyone!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things accelerate. A wedding. An army. Will they make it before they say "I do"?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I have no excuse for being so long. This should have been up long ago. I am so sorry, everyone. 
> 
> But when I was not trying to throw the computer to the ground, I've been enjoying adding more to the upcoming DRAMA. So I hope you're prepared!! :3 Enjoy!!

Yuuri stared out the window of his room, feeling no less of a prisoner. He crossed his arms and leaned onto the windowsill, staring at the sun as it began to set. He could just make out the copse of trees that he knew, instinctively, was where camp was. Did the others make it back safe? Was Viktor alright? 

He heard the familiar clacking of wood against stone, and turned slightly to look at a nutcracker marching by, keeping watch over him. 

The same nutcracker has been keeping an eye on him since he was moved to his new chambers. Yuuri had mostly ignored him, but he couldn’t shake the sense of familiarity he had. He turned his head towards the doorway, curiosity eating away at him. Ignoring his gut feeling before made things go for the worst between him and Viktor; he shouldn’t ignore them this time. Rising from his perch by the window, he walked over to the little window of the wooden door, peering out into the hallway to look at the nutcracker guarding him.

Yuuri narrowed his eyes at the creature, scratching his brain as he tried to pinpoint the familiar features. Painted dark hair, blue eyes. Not exactly outstanding features. A lot of the nutcrackers looked somewhat the same, but that couldn’t be right. If everyone was turned into toys or animals, it only made sense if some of the nutcrackers were the same. 

He couldn’t tell you how long he simply stared the nutcracker down, until a name flashed to the forefront of his brain. While this nutcracker shared the same features, the personality was all wrong. It couldn’t be, could it? 

“JJ?” Yuuri asked, eyes growing a little wider as it marched towards him again.. “Jean-Jacques Leroy?” 

The nutcracker stilled, almost as if on command. He watched those blue blue eyes blink, then a spark of life enter them. The wooden toy shook his head, putting a hand to his forehead. 

“I...what? Where am I? What’s going on? Where did everyone go?” he asked, that voice unmistakably JJ, captain of the guards. “Did I miss the party?” 

“JJ!” Yuuri cried out in relief, gripping the bars to his little window.”Oh, gods, it is you!” He and JJ got along alright before, with the captain being a too little boisterous for his liking, but the sight of a familiar face in such a dreadful place almost made him want to cry...if he could, that is. 

The nutcracker turned to look at him through the window, his dark blue eyes going wide as recognition hit him. “ _Danseur_ Katsuki?! Is that you?! What happened? Don’t tell me I missed the wedding!” 

Yuuri felt his heart lighten just a little as JJ talked. Oh, how he wished he had good news for him… 

“An outsider somehow got into Yutopia. He banished the prince, and turned everyone into toys and animals.” Yuuri showed him his own hands to show him physical proof. “It seems he turned you and the other guards into his own servants.” 

JJ looked mortified, and rightfully so. “The nerve! I only serve the prince and you! Prince… Prince… What? Why’s his name drawing a blank?” The poor nutcracker was shaking his head, as if the act would clear his wooden noggin. 

“Part of the king’s magic.” the doll supplied, shaking his head sadly. “He’s made everyone forget.” 

JJ’s eyes widened, mortified. “That’s terrible!” He then stared at the door, as if realizing something else. “Wait a minute, why are you in there?” he asked, confusion in his eyes. 

Yuuri sighed, the sadness returning in his eyes. “The king managed to capture me. He wants me to marry him.” 

“ _WHAT?!_ ” JJ exclaimed, shocked. “Who does this guy think he is? You’re not actually going to marry him, are you?!” 

Yuuri sighed, leaning against the bars with his forehead. “No, I’m not.” He pulled at the fabric covering his glass heart, pulling it out for JJ to see. “When I was turned into a doll, my heart turned to glass.” He tapped to the golden band in the middle, eyes becoming sad. “When my fiancé proposed, he gave me this. It… My heart holds the Heart.” He ran a thumb gently over the glass as JJ’s eyes grew wider. “I’m planning on freeing the Heart tomorrow night, at the wedding.” 

If the nutcracker’s eyes grew bigger, he didn't notice. “Will that mean you-”

“Yes.” Yuuri replied firmly, cutting the guard off. He fixed his dark gaze on JJ, looking serious. “I want you to tell the others. Tell them that tomorrow they'll be free. Please, for me.”

The younger man hesitated, looking very uncertain. “But surely there must be another way.” he tried to argue vainly, his voice just as uncertain as his expression. 

“There isn’t. Please, JJ, I implore you. Do this one thing for me, as my last dying wish.” Yuuri begged, eyes shining sorrowfully again. 

JJ sighed, staring down into Yuuri’s eyes. “If that is your wish, then I will do as you want.” The guard put a wooden hand to his chest solemnly. 

The _danseur_ sighed, relief sagging into his shoulders. “Thank you. And before you go.” He held his glass heart out to him, staring hard at the object. “Can you….um, step on it a little? It’s rather tough, and I want to be sure that I can…”

JJ stared at Yuuri, alarmed. He hesitantly took his heart into his hands, shaking slightly. The doll watched nervously as the young man took his heart, his eyes dulling a little when it was no longer in his possession. He watched as he gingerly placed it on the stone floor, then put a large, wooden foot atop it. The nutcracker cast a worried glance up at him before Yuuri gave him a firm nod. 

He had not expected the pain he felt when as the other’s foot stepped down. He could have sworn he felt every crack that spread through his glass heart, causing him to collapse to his knees in pain. He panted as it suddenly stopped, and he vaguely registered JJ’s worried voice. 

He forced himself up to his feet, holding his hands out for his fractured heart. The nutcracker gave it to him wordlessly, his eyes still wide. 

Yuuri panted, staring down at his now cracked heart. He carefully placed it back in his chest cavity, flinching at the feel in his hollow insides. “Thank you, JJ.” 

❈ ❈ ❈

“What do you mean he’s going to destroy his heart?!” Viktor nearly screeched, shaking the nutcracker called JJ frantically in front of him. His mind had blanked soon after the announcement was made in camp. 

Yuuri was getting married to the king. But he’s planning on basically killing himself to save everyone in Yutopia. 

That idiot. His beloved, selfless idiot. 

The Russian forced himself to let go of him, now opting to pull at his hair. “He’ll die if he does that!” 

“With the Heart within his own heart, he has no other choice.” Celestino said gravely, shaking his head slowly. “There’s not much we can do.” 

“Surely we can stop it?!” Viktor asked, eyes wide in a panic. “Surely there’s another way?!” 

Phichit rocked on his feet, not looking too much better than Viktor. “Oh, gods, if you still had your magic, Ciao Ciao, you could probably magic it out, wouldn’t you?” the tin toy moaned, holding his own head as well. 

The puppet opened his mouth to reply, then brightened as a thought crossed his mind. “I might not be able to now… But Toshiya might!” he exclaimed. The former human beamed, all too white teeth still unsettling on his puppet face. “The king has him imprisoned in the crystal ball in his staff. If we get the staff… We could free Yuuri’s father.” 

“And then we could save Yuuri!” Viktor exclaimed, looking encouraged by the idea. “Yuuri won’t have to die!” 

Several others shouted excitedly, looking very encouraged. Viktor turned to JJ, eyes bright. “You! JJ, wasn’t it? Can you lead us back to the king’s castle?” 

The nutcracker nodded eagerly, a large grin on his face. “We can storm the castle! I still remember all the entrances and exits from when he had me under his control. If we hurry, we may be able to stop the wedding!” 

Viktor turned excitedly. “Then what are we waiting for?! Let’s go!” the Russian exclaimed, starting to sprint towards the entrance. He was tripped up, falling flat on his face. 

“Oi, asshole! You’re not thinking of trying to go alone, are you?” a loud voice snapped, a tail bopping him on his nose. The man looked up to Yurio, who had his arms crossed as he smirked. The cat boy looked ready for a fight, and from behind him, Viktor noticed that there were others who looked ready for one as well. “You’re gonna be needing an army to get near that staff, dumbass.” 

Viktor stared, then grinned excitedly. “Excellent! It's just what we need!”

Phichit fist pumped the air in excitement. “We're finally going to be free! Whoo! We need like a battle chant or something!” 

Viktor got to his feet again, smiling confidently. “He won't even know what hit him.”

"Then you're going to need a steed." an unfamiliar voice mused from beside him. "No prince charming worth his salt can't be leading an army without a steed." 

The Russian turned to the voice, eyes widening. "UH..... _What_ are you supposed to be?" he asked, jaw slack in confusion. 

"Rude. Just hop on so we can save your dancer in distress." 

❈ ❈ ❈

Yuuri stood in front of the mirror in his room, dressed in one of the most beautiful outfits he's ever worn. It was black, tight fitting fabric, stretched over his body like a glove, with a dark mesh panel on his side and one of the sleeves, and flashy silver rhinestones tracing up from his hip to his shoulder. A half skirt with a red panel inside flared down from his left hip, flowing down to his knee. Fitted black slacks were tucked into knee high black leather boots. His own black locks were slicked away from his face, and his glasses were gone, leaving the deep brown of his eyes free.

It was beautiful. Not exactly his style, but beautiful nonetheless. 

And it broke his heart. 

Black was a fitting color for the occasion. If it were his day with Viktor, he definitely would have something completely different in mind for his wedding day. What, he had no idea. But it wasn't this. And it was nowhere near as joyful as it should be. 

He knew the outcome of the day. He just hoped that he would be able to free everyone before the king realized what he was doing. 

He sighed heavily, fussing with the folds of the half skirt absently, his heart aching. The pre-made fractures that he had JJ make before he left hurt. He felt so weak. Hell, while he was dressing, he almost blacked out. He knew that he didn't have much time left. He needed to use it wisely. 

His back was still to the door when he heard it open. He heard the clacking of wooden teeth. "The king is waiting." the nutcracker guard snapped, another beside him. "You're coming with us." 

Yuuri didn't respond. He merely turned his head to look at them, his eyes dull. He took a careful breath and straightened his shoulders, raising his chin proudly. He walked gracefully, looking almost ethereal as he glided past the door. He was flanked by the guards and marched ahead with them, his eyes firmly fixed ahead of him, accepting the outcome like the dead man he was.

Up the winding, cold stone stairs, past tiny slivers of windows, and they are atop the tower, where the Heart of the World once rested. Yuuri felt a surge of power that would have had him tumbling in pain had he not composed himself. 

Before the altar stood the king, looking equal parts smug and eager, his staff in his hands. Beside him was a poor subject, a diminutive woman with a squirrel's tail and ears. She looked equal parts terrified and horrified. 

Yuuri felt his heart clench at the sight. He could feel the last remaining remnants of the Heart's power from the altar, and could feel it even more from his glass heart, the power feeling like it was trying to break free from his chest. 

_Soon._ he thought to himself, placing a hand carefully over his chest, fighting for composure. He took a careful breath, and strode towards the altar, his eyes now downcast. He could feel the faint prickle of his own father's power from the staff as he neared the king. Would he be conscious in that crystal ball? How would he feel watching what Yuuri will do very soon? Would he even remember his own son at this point? It's been so long now... 

The king appraised Yuuri with hungry eyes, reaching out to take the _danseur's_ hand in his as Yuuri stopped before him. "My, my. Look at what a little wardrobe change can do. You look ravishing, my dear." he purred, placing a kiss on Yuuri's hand. The doll fought the urge to recoil, but failed to hide his flinch. The king chuckled, staring down at him while Yuuri stared at him with the last bit of defiance that he allowed to show. The tyrant turned to the squirrel woman, who understandably flinched. "Begin." 

She stammered, nervously shuffling the papers in her hands. "D-dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..." The woman's voice fell on deaf ears as Yuuri's mind raced to find a good moment to act. Yuuri's eyes were glazing over again from pain as the woman stammered, "I-if anyone here objects to this union, y-you may speak now or forever hold your p-peace." 

They were, of course, greeted with silence save for the wooden clack of nutcracker feet on stone. The king smiled smugly, grabbing Yuuri by the waist to pull him flush to him. Yuuri squirmed, immediately rejecting the attention. Seems like the king wasn't going to wait for the 'kiss the bride' moment. 

Just as his lips were about to violate the _danseur's_ , a great crashing sound of wood being splintered echoed in the space. "I OBJECT!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To whom it may concern... You know who you are. You put that idea in there. I didn't explicitly say it (yet), but it's in there because I could not get it out. 
> 
> But we're now actually nearing the end! And with the end, of course, you've got to have a fight. 
> 
> Oh, and by the way, happy turkey day to those who celebrate it.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!


	16. A Swan Song or Happily Ever After?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come: who will win? Will love conquer all? Or will evil prevail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *SCREAMING* So I nearly thought I lost the _entirety_ of this chapter just a bit before I previewed it, but was able to copy it before I actually lost it, because I was forced to log out of my account. *collapses from near stroke* Considering how fecking big this chapter is, I was **NOT** looking forward to losing all that work. At all. 
> 
> ANYWAYS, it's the last chapter, everyone! Oh my gosh!! Thank you so much for the continued support from everyone reading this. As many of you may know, this will be my second fic that I have finished here on AO3! Thank you so, so, so very much for sticking around for this journey. I think I've had a lot of growth and learning done as a writer with this fic, and I hope to take what I've learned from it, and to apply it to other works in the future. Thank you so much again for your continued reading. 
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy the last chapter of _The Music Box_.

"I told you that making an entrance would work." the wooden unicorn mused, shaking colorful mane in Viktor's face. " _Now_ you look like a prince, _cheri_!" 

Viktor grit his teeth in embarrassment. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this." he mumbled, resisting the urge to cover his face in embarrassment. Sure, it sounded like such a great idea to begin with, but when it actually happened... Maybe this was a little _too_ extra, even for him...

The baffled, shocked look on his beautiful _danseur_ in distress was not making his decision seem any better. 

“Viktor, why are you riding _Christophe?_ ” Yuuri asked, the doll staring at him dumbly.

Well, _**that**_ , was a good question. Viktor cleared his throat awkwardly, sliding off the wooden back of the rainbow maned unicorn he was riding. “H-he insisted.” he replied awkwardly. 

The unicorn, Christophe, snorted. "Rude. You didn't complain about it on the way over here." he remarked. 

"Not helping, Chris." Viktor hissed, too busy with keeping his cheeks from turning completely red. 

The situation was made even more awkward as he was struck by Yuuri’s beauty. While the outfit didn’t fit Yuuri’s personality in the slightest, it was absolutely gorgeous on him. Of course, now was not the time to admire his fiancé’s appearance. He was fortunate that Yuuri hadn't smashed his heart yet. 

Viktor turned his attention to the king, glaring at him with all the fury he could muster. He didn’t like the way the king’s hand wrapped around his Yuuri’s waist like that. 

He drew the sword given to him at his side, directing it towards the king. His blue eyes narrowed seriously. “I believe that you’ve outworn your welcome here, sir.” he said curtly, taking a step forward. Behind him, the people of Yutopia came forward, all looking down and ready to fight. “However, we’re more than willing to give you a chance to leave peacefully, unless you decide to cause trouble.” 

The king growled, tightening his grip on the _danseur_ in his arms. “And if I refuse?” the king challenged. Viktor heard a soft gasp of pain from Yuuri, causing him to grit his teeth. Yuuri’s heart. 

“Then we’ll have to remove you by force.” the silver haired man said decidedly. “Now, release my fiancé this instant.” 

“And what makes you think I’ll- AGH!!” The king promptly let go of Yuuri, who had taken the opportunity to bite him hard in the arm, then stomp on his feet with one heeled boot. The doll dove to the ground, away from the king, in time for Viktor to come charging in with his sword. 

"CHARGE!!!" Yurio's voice rang through the space, and soon the altar's space was swamped with nutcrackers and the citizens of Yutopia fighting against the nutcrackers. Viktor caught glimpses of his people, his friends, fighting for their lives. He knew that everyone here would be able to keep up with everything long enough for him to get to the crystal ball. 

He eyed the staff in the king's hand carefully, blue eyes landing on the crystal ball fixed atop it. The king ran a hand over the ball, noticing his expression. "You think I will let you win that easily?" he barked, beetle-like eyes glittering dangerously. "You must be really stupid if you think I'm going to let you close. You've got no magic left in you." 

Viktor smiled. "True, I may not now." he said, facing the king evenly. "I don't have all my memories back, either. But what I _do_ know, is that I won't need either to be able to take you down." His smile grew more confident as he brandished the sword, allowing muscle memory from his past to take over. "I won't let you hurt my friends anymore." 

The king grit his teeth. "Fool. This world will be _mine_." A swirl of flame spiraled out of the crystal, becoming a small tornado launched towards Viktor's direction. 

"Viktor!" Viktor jumped in surprise as a familiar shape leaped in front of him, holding a shield in his arms. Yuuri blocked the flaming inferno from him, gritting his teeth. "Move, move, move!" he shouted. 

Viktor followed Yuuri's order and left the safety behind him, rushing towards the king quickly as he could. 

The king's attention diverted back towards him, and Viktor had to quickly dodge a blast of ice. Yuuri let out a battle cry and leaped at the king, shoving the shield he was carrying towards him. The king shoved the doll back with his staff, barely blocking in time when the Russian tried cutting in to swat the staff out of his hands. 

Viktor went flying to the ground with a hard thwack to his side, rolling onto his side in a daze. The king strode over to quickly finish him, only for the _danseur_ leaping onto his back and wrapping his arms around his neck. While the king struggled with dislodging Yuuri off of his back, Viktor quickly rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding being attacked by the king's staff. 

The king threw Yuuri like a doll, -literally- growling in anger. "Stay out of my way, you!" he snapped as Yuuri rolled away from him, the doll landing on his side limply. 

Viktor felt his blood boil at the sight of his fiancé's limp form, then charged towards the king again, anger fueling him. "You monster!" he snarled, grabbing the staff. An intense game of tug-of-war ensued between Viktor and the king, the latter succeeding by slamming the top of his staff atop Viktor's head. The Russian crumpled to the ground, dazed and confused. 

The king stood before him, raising his staff above him threateningly. "This time, I'll obliterate you from existence!" he swore, summoning the magic from the crystal ball. 

Yuuri stirred a little ways away, blinking dazedly. He gasped when his eyes focused on his fallen prince, and the king about to kill him. 

No. _No_. His hands dove under his shirt, pulling his glass heart out of his chest. He raised the cracked, damaged piece above his head, his eyes hardening with determination. 

He'll die before he let this false king continue his reign any longer. 

"Hey, ugly!" Yuuri snapped, his voice loud enough to carry over the battle. Some of the fights around him stopped, including the king's own. The outsider glared, whipping his head around towards Yuuri. The _danseur_ fixed his eyes with the hardest stare he could, ignoring Viktor's blue eyes widening in horror. 

Yuuri raised the heart higher over his head, raising his voice louder. "GO TO HELL, AND STAY THERE!" he shouted, throwing the heart hard to the ground. 

"YUURI, _NO!_ " A familiar voice rang out as his world dimmed instantly. 

Viktor stared, mouth agape in horror, tears springing in his eyes. He leaped towards the staff again, this time succeeding in taking it from the distracted king, and slammed the crystal ball end into the ground. 

Both damaged artifacts glowed, wind whipping through the space suddenly. A pure, sparkling heart glowed into existence from within the remains of Yuuri's heart, floating its way over to the altar of the Heart of the World. It spun slowly, captivating the nutcrackers and citizens with it's ethereal glow. 

The king, however, was screaming, clinging to a pillar near him for dear life. His appearance began to drastically change, the youthful, young appearance that he had magicked on himself was ripped from him, leaving him an ugly, gray, mess of a man. The faster the Heart spun, the more the former screamed, desperately hanging on. 

"No! This is my kingdom! No!" he shouted, trying to claw his way to stay. "I won't go back! I refuse!" The Heart, however, had other plans. It spun faster, pulling him closer to its pull. 

Viktor stared at the still, limp form of his fiancé, eyes brimming with tears. He made his way slowly over to Yuuri's body, gritting his teeth as the winds buffeted him roughly. He reached his _danseur's_ side, cradling him gently in his arms. "Yuuri..." he murmured, holding him gently in his arms, silver tears falling down his cheeks. 

The king let out a last, angry shriek before he was magically kicked out of Yutopia forever, returning him back to where he had come from. With the intruder gone, the winds slowly died, leaving the denizens of Yutopia and nutcrackers alike staring in awe at what had just happened. The Heart slowed to a lazy twirl, just like it had before it was temporarily removed. 

Viktor, however, was paying no attention to any of this. He stared down at Yuuri's blank face, his glass eyes dead of the light of life. "Yuuri. You stupid, brave man." he murmured, kissing his forehead gently. "Come back to me. Please, Yuuri. I'll do anything... Please..." 

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to Phichit, the tin toy's eyes shiny with what could have been tears he couldn't shed. He gave him a watery smile. "We did it. We got rid of the king." he assured him, though he looked just as heartbroken. In fact, once Viktor got a better look of the others, he saw quite a few of them with tears on their faces, or with the same watery look as Phichit's. He could have sworn he saw Yurio with his face buried into the chest of the bear boy Otabek, who was rubbing his back comfortingly. 

A set of footsteps on glass could be heard, and a huff of surprise. "Why, what's going on here? Why are you all crying?" Several gasps came from the crowd, and the Russian turned in time for Phichit to exclaim, "It's Magician Katsuki!" 

Now, if that man didn't look familiar to Viktor, he didn't know what to think. Before him was a _very_ familiar stout, elderly man, adjusting his spectacles while straightening out magician's robes of wrinkles. He stared in shock as the old man smiled jovially to the crowd. 

"Oh, my, what a mess we've got here." he mused, tutting as he took in the state of things. "This won't do at all. Luckily I know a spell or two, hm?" He lifted his hands, turning towards the Heart of the World. "I'll just have to borrow a little power from our old friend here if I'm going to right everything." With a calm, serene smile, a warm light emanated between his hands and the Heart, which only grew the longer it went. 

Everyone gasped in awe as the magic began its work, spreading through the walls, turning the old castle back to it's former glory of smooth marble and colorful tapestries. The altar gleamed like pearl, the Heart resonating strongly. The magic spread to the grounds, and the grass became green and fresh, the leaves of the trees from pink to lovely dark green, silver bark turning rich brown. Flowers bloomed, and rivers cleared. Everything felt cleaner, lighter. 

The magician turned to the crowd in front of him, smiling. "I'm assuming everyone would like their spells removed, hm?" He was met with a responding cheer, and with a wave of a hand and a warm chuckle, everyone, animal, toy, and nutcracker, slowly and surely transformed. Viktor watched, feeling a twinge of happiness as he watched the people transform back into their human selves, cheering and celebrating with warm hugs, returned memories, and wet tears that haven't been shed in years. He felt his heart warming at the sight. His people were happy. Everyone was happy. 

Well, almost everyone. His shoulders sagged as his attention returned to the still figure in his arms. He placed his hand gently over Yuuri's eyes, folding them closed for him. He hung his head mournfully, shame burning in him. 

"I'm so sorry, Yuuri. I was so stupid." he whispered, letting the tears come again. He whimpered, hugging Yuuri to him again. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Yuuri." 

He let everything melt away from him, wishing with all his heart that a kiss would have woken his _danseur_ up. He paid little mind to the footsteps approaching him, not until he heard the magician's gentle voice close to him. 

"May I see my son, Your Highness?" he asked softly. 

Viktor's shoulders stiffened, tightening his grip briefly. He didn't deserve to be called that. Not when all of this was his fault. He slowly let go of Yuuri's body, moving only far enough for Magician Katsuki to see. His heart broke at the soft, sad expression on his face as he gazed down at his son. The old man squatted to Viktor's level, resting his hand on his son's cheek. 

"Oh, my son. You've been fighting so hard." he said softly. "I'm so proud of you." He looked up at Viktor, smiling softly. "Mind letting him go for a little while?" he asked. "I can't exactly break his spell if you're gripping him so tightly." 

Viktor's eyes widened in shock. "H-huh? Y-you're going to bring Yuuri back?!" he exclaimed in disbelief, staring at the magician. 

Magician Katsuki chuckled. "Of course. His heart and the Heart were connected." He put his hand over Yuuri's chest. "It's just resting with the Heart right now. Now, if you will." 

Viktor quickly scrambled out of the way enough to let the old man work, but stayed close to Yuuri's side. The magician closed his eyes, his brow furrowing slightly in concentration. Yuuri's body took on the same glow as the others' have had, transforming him back into a human. During his transformation, a small portion of the Heart, a very pale blue little thing, floated towards the still form of Yuuri, entering his heart. Viktor's eyes widened as the transformation completed itself, leaving Yuuri human. 

Without any hesitation, Viktor pulled Yuuri into his arms, running his hand through his hair. It was soft and silky, just as he had imagined it would. And his body was so soft and _warm_. He stared at his resting face with bated breath, eyes drawn to every growing sign of life. Suddenly, the _danseur_ gasped to life, eyes fluttering. Viktor rested a hand against a soft cheek, watching as his beloved was coming to. Sure enough, Yuuri's eyes opened fully, rich and brown and sparkling with life.

The young man's brow furrowed in confusion, blinking blearily at him. "Vik...tor?" he murmured, staring up at him. 

Viktor's eyes watered, and a goofy smile appeared on his face. "Yes, it's me, Yuuri! You're alive!" he exclaimed, laughter bubbling in his voice as he stared at the beautiful man waking in his arms. 

"I'm...alive?" Yuuri asked, blinking in confusion. He lifted a hand slowly to his face, his eyes widening when he examined his hand. "I'm human!" he exclaimed in shock. "I'm human again!" He turned his head as he caught the sound of the others talking excitedly. He sat up hurriedly, only to almost collapse if not for Viktor holding him. " _Everyone's_ human again!" he exclaimed, shock and delight in his voice. 

The _danseur_ turned his attention back to Viktor, eyes shining. "Viktor..." 

Viktor felt his heart swell. "Oh, Yuuri..." he sighed, leaning in to kiss him. Instead of a kiss, he was met with a slap to his head. He winced, rubbing his sore noggin while some of the crowd snickered at him. 

Yuuri glared furiously at him. "That's for giving me the Heart! That's far enough! I don't want any more gifts!" he scolded, hands on his hips. "I don't care if you're wanting to be romantic, _you do not give people an entire world_ , do you hear me?!" 

"Yes, yes, I do!" Viktor whined, holding his head. "I'm sorry, dear!" The word "whipped!" might have popped up somewhere from within the crowd, and probably most certainly did not come from a former cat boy at all. 

Yuuri gave him an exasperated sigh, relaxing his shoulders before leaning forward and kissing Viktor on the lips. He pulled away with a smile, his eyes warm and filled with love. "Good. I'm glad you understand." he said, smiling gently at him. Viktor's heart skipped a beat at the sight. 

They would have stared into each other's eyes forever, if not for Magician Katsuki clapping his hands together happily. "Now that everything's back to as it should be, I think a party is in order?" he suggested. Celestino joined his side, the former puppet now a handsome man, his long ponytail long and flowing. 

"I couldn't agree more, Magician Katsuki." he agreed joyously, straightening his own robes. "Allow me to give you a hand." With a wave of his hand, the magician changed everyone's clothes, much to the delight of most everyone in the crowd. 

Viktor helped Yuuri up to his feet in time for their clothing to change. The Russian smiled at Yuuri's beautiful outfit: a smart looking purple blazer, shining like the night sky, tight black slacks, his dark locks fixed from their disrepair from the fight. Yuuri smiled brightly up at him, straightening his own lovely outfit, the pink and maroon suit that he had worn the night of their engagement. 

"You look beautiful," the _danseur_ said softly, blushing faintly. Viktor decided he really liked that look on him. He lifted the man's face up to his, smiling gently. 

"That's supposed to be my line, silly one." he teased, pulling him into a kiss, which the other gladly accepted. When they parted, Viktor started leading them into a dance. Music already began chiming in the air, coming from the _danseur_. They danced closely together, smiling at everyone as they paired together with friends, family, and lovers, celebrating their newfound freedom. As the dancing wore on, the two of them began to get lost in their own world, happy to be in each other's arms. 

Viktor winced as he stepped on something sharp on his foot. He stopped their dancing, face scrunched from the pain. Yuuri looked up at him in concern. "Viktor? What's wrong, darling?" he asked, worry lacing his voice. 

"I stepped on something." Viktor murmured, suddenly feeling dizzy. Yuuri's eyes widened in horror as he stared blearily at him. 

"V-Viktor! You're disappearing!" the _danseur_ exclaimed, desperately holding on to him. Viktor's eyes widened as he looked at his arm, noticing himself becoming clear. 

"Yuuri! Yuuri, I can't stop it!" he exclaimed, alarmed. Yuuri held tightly to him, only for his fingers to slip through him. Tears welled in his beloved's eyes as Viktor slowly disappeared. "I'll find you!" the Russian promised. 

Yuuri nodded, tears falling hard and fast down his cheeks. "And I, you!" he promised as the last bit of Viktor disappeared. 

❉ ❉ ❉

**St. Petersburg, Russia, the real world**

Viktor awoke with a start, hair fluffy and messy from sleep. He panted, clutching at his fine sheets tightly. "No. No, no, no, no, it was a dream?!" Viktor exclaimed, staring down at his lap in disbelief. He flung himself backwards on his pillows, clutching at his hair. "It can't be a dream! It felt so real!" he moaned, holding his head. 

He let his hands fall from his head to either side of it, staring up at his ceiling. It had felt so real. It couldn't have been just a dream... Could it? 

From outside his bedroom, he heard a resounding crash and Makkachin yelp. The Russian man bolted out of bed, swinging the door open to investigate the situation. Makkachin came running up to him, whining with his tail tucked between his legs. "Makkachin! What happened, boy?" he asked worriedly, squatting down to his pooch's level, rubbing his ears worriedly. His eyes cast to the side, and his heart stopped. 

"Oh, no, my music box!" he exclaimed, stiffening in shock at the state of his new possession. The box had toppled off of the coffee table to the floor. The lid was half attached to the main body, and shards of mirror and crystal was on the floor. 

Viktor hurried to inspect the damage, his heart breaking as he lifted the box up carefully. The lid was barely hanging on, while the mirror inlay was completely shattered and out of its frame. The crystal inside the box was also shattered, huge chunks missing from it. And the little male figurine...bent snapped in two. 

Viktor's hands shook, his heart breaking at the sight. "Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. Please, don't be broken!" he whined, turning the key of the music box. The springs refused to move, and no sound came. The Russian's eyes watered, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "My music box..." 

Makkachin's whine beside him called him back to earth. He turned to the upset poodle, patting the spot beside him. "There, there, Makka. I know it was an accident." he said, beckoning the old dog to come to him. Makka whined, shuffling to him guiltily before sitting beside him. Viktor scratched his ears gently, rubbing his nose into the curly hairs on his pooch's head. "It's okay, Makka. I'm not mad. Papa's not mad." he promised, petting him gently. 

He sighed, getting up. He grabbed a broom and dustpan from the closet to clean everything up. With a second thought, he went to find a small box to put the pieces in. Maybe he could get it fixed somehow. He carefully picked up the larger pieces before sweeping up the much smaller fragments, continuing to talk gently to his dog to reassure him that he wasn't mad. 

Heart broken from his dream and the destruction of his music box, Viktor turned to his poodle. "Well, I guess since you've been a little rowdy this morning, how about we burn off some of that energy with a long walk?" he suggested, getting a resounding boof of joy from Makkachin. He chuckled softly as the dog gave him wet kisses on his cheek. 

Once he was properly dressed and had Makkachin leashed, the two went on a walk to enjoy the cool breeze. Viktor's mind, however, wandered over to his dream. Had that really all been nothing but a fanciful dream? Did he imagine all of it? Did he imagine Yuuri? 

He put a hand lightly to his lips, remembering the feel of Yuuri's lips to his. "I can't have imagined that." he said decidedly, frowning. "I couldn't have imagined that." He sighed dejectedly, his shoulders sagging once more. "But what if it is?" 

Viktor wasn't paying attention to where they were going until Makkachin barked, sitting in front of the toy shop. Viktor looked up at the store front, his heart clenching. He bought that music box here. A thought clicked in his mind. Maybe there was another like it inside?! He quickly tied Makkachin up out front, entering the shop, unable to hide the desperation in his movements. 

There at the counter was that same old man, smiling cheerfully at him. "Well, hello again, stranger! How can I help-" 

"Do you have another one of those music boxes?!" Viktor exclaimed, flinching when he made the old man jump in surprise. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry for my rudeness. It's just- My dog accidentally broke my music box that I bought from you this morning, and I've grown very attached to it, and, well-" 

The old man smiled sympathetically, folding his hands in front of him. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid that was the only one of it's kind." he replied, shaking his head. "You won't find another like it. I do have others, though." 

Viktor shook his head, trying hard not to think about crying like he wanted to. "No, it _has_ to be that one." he said. He clapped his hands together, pleading. "Would you be able to fix it?" he pleaded. 

The toy shop owner shook his head again, patting his shoulder. "I'm sorry, young man, but there's not a whole lot I can do." he said, shaking his head. 

Viktor felt his heart clench. "B-but there must be a way to fix it!" he exclaimed. "Please, I need to go back!" 

"Go back?" the owner echoed back, blinking in confusion. "I'm sorry, but..." The bell to the front of the store jingled, and the shop owner brightened. "Oh, Yuuri! Back so soon already?" Viktor's eyes widened at the greeting in disbelief. "And you've brought your friends with you! Hello, boys!" 

Viktor turned slowly, eyes widening in disbelief as, before him, stood Yuuri. _His_ Yuuri. The young man before him adjusted his glasses, smiling awkwardly at the old man, flanked by who could only be Phichit and Yurio. 

"Hi, Dad. Practice was canceled, so I decided to head home. Phichit and Yurio want to try katsudon, so I promised to make them some for lunch." Yuuri stared at Viktor in surprise, as if noticing him for the first time. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were with a customer." He bowed politely to Viktor, head low. "I'm sorry, sir, for interrupting." 

Viktor blinked, gulping in shock. "Oh, um, don't worry about it." He ran a hand through his hair nervously, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. "Please, you can stand up again. Don't feel bad on my account." 

When Yuuri straightened back up again, Viktor was at a loss for words. He stared at him, memorizing every inch of him. He looked _just_ like the Yuuri in his dreams. His _danseur_... 

He smiled, holding his hand out to him. "I don't believe we've met. My name's Viktor." he mused. He suppressed a chuckle when Yuuri jumped, blushing at the action. The young man took his hand, shaking it once. 

"I'm Yuuri. My father runs the store." he said happily. "Thank you for your patronage." 

Viktor smiled, leaning down to kiss the back of Yuuri's hand. This earned him a delightful squeak from Yuuri, and a snap of a cell phone camera going off from Phichit. He smiled up at Yuuri, giving him a wink. "No, it is my pleasure." he insisted, straightening back up again. Oh, God, that was the cutest blush he's _ever_ seen on any human being, ever. 

Yuuri stammered, utterly flabbergasted from the gesture. "U-uh, um, is that your dog outside?" he asked, looking away to the store front. 

Viktor nodded, smiling. "Yes. His name's Makkachin. Isn't he adorable?" he gushed, putting his hands to his face happily. His heart skipped a beat at Yuuri's smile. 

"He's very cute." the Japanese man agreed, pink on his cheeks still. Yuuri's smile could cure cancer. Holy crap. 

Viktor cleared his throat, smiling at him. "So, um, Yuuri," he said, getting the young man's attention again. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?" he asked. 

The other man blinked in surprise, staring at him. "Me?" he asked, pointing to himself. Yurio gagged behind him while Phichit was taking pictures. 

Viktor nodded enthusiastically, smiling brighter. "Yes. I would like to take you out to dinner, if that's okay." he asked, feeling his heart race. 

Yuuri jumped, then began to fidget cutely under his gaze. "Oh, um, w-well, I have dance practice tomorrow..." he started slowly. 

"Yeah, but class ends around four!" Phichit exclaimed excitedly, scrolling happily through his phone. 

Yuuri blushed harder, eyes falling to the floor. "A-and I have to help around the store tomorrow..." he added. 

"Oh, I can handle the store just fine, Yuuri." the old man mused, chuckling at the sight of his son being asked out. Viktor had to appreciate this man's openness. "You should go out and have fun. He's a nice fellow." 

Yuuri and Viktor both turned red in response to the comment, and both stared at the floor awkwardly. Yurio gagged, rolling his eyes. "Oh my God, this is gross. I'm calling Beka if we keep talking about this so I have someone to help me make fun of this." the blonde grumbled, pulling his phone out. 

Viktor felt his tongue grow heavy, courage quickly fading until Yuuri's eyes lifted up from the ground, looking up through thick, dark lashes. A small smile appeared on the young man's pink lips, accompanied by pink on his cheeks. 

"In that case, i-it seems my night tomorrow is free." he mused, rubbing the back of his neck. He smiled more as he added, "But you have to bring your dog. It's too cute."

Viktor beamed brightly, nodding enthusiastically. "Deal. If that is your wish." he said, bringing Yuuri's hand up to his lips again. He kissed the back of his knuckles gently, chuckling as he felt the skin heat up. He looked down into warm chocolate eyes gently, smiling. "I look forward to it." 

Yuuri's pretty blush subsided a little, his gaze softening. 

"Yeah. Me, too." 

**_Fin_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finished, everyone! Wow, I can't believe it. This feels just as bittersweet finishing as it was with _Twin Lilies_. Again, I'd like to thank all my readers for sticking with and putting up with my sporadic posting schedule, and for your continued support. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope to see you guys more in other fics in the future!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you enjoyed this little piece. I'm having a lot of fun writing it, and I hope that you may enjoy it. Thank you for taking the time to read it, and please comment! *bows awkwardly*


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